Former West Bengal minister Paresh Chandra Adhikari and his daughter Ankita Adhikari have been granted bail in the School Service Commission (SSC) teacher recruitment case. The duo surrendered before the Special CBI court in Kolkata's Alipore, facing charges related to corruption in the SSC recruitment process. The court, after considering their bail applications, granted them conditional bail on a personal bond of Rs 7,000 each.
The case has been a focal point of controversy, with allegations of corruption and irregularities in the recruitment process for teaching positions in West Bengal. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been actively involved in probing the matter, having submitted multiple charge sheets. Recently, the CBI filed the final charge sheet concerning the recruitment for 9th-10th and 11th-12th classes, as well as the Group-C recruitment case. In total, four charge sheets have been submitted, summoning 75 individuals to court.
The involvement of Paresh Chandra Adhikari and his daughter Ankita in the case has drawn significant attention. Ankita Adhikari's name appeared at number 104 on the list of 'tainted and ineligible' candidates published by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC). She had secured a teaching position for political science for classes 11th and 12th through the WBSSC. However, her appointment was challenged by another job seeker, Babita Sarkar, who alleged that Ankita had obtained the job illegally. In May 2022, the Calcutta High Court, under Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, cancelled Ankita's appointment and ordered her to return her salary. Consequently, Babita Sarkar was awarded the position and a salary of approximately Rs 15 lakh.
Complex Legal Proceedings
The case took another turn when it was discovered that there was an error in the evaluation of Babita's marks, leading to her losing the job after another candidate, Anamika Roy, filed a case. Eventually, the job was awarded to Anamika Roy. However, Roy's tenure was short-lived as well, as the Supreme Court later cancelled the teaching and non-teaching jobs of about 26,000 candidates, including hers.
The SSC recruitment case has been a complex and contentious issue, highlighting the challenges and controversies surrounding recruitment processes in educational institutions. The involvement of high-profile individuals, such as Paresh Chandra Adhikari and his daughter, has added to the intrigue and public interest in the case. In a related development, Debashree Sinha, the wife of the former convener of the School Service Commission Advisory Committee, Shantiprasad Sinha, was also granted bail by the court. Her involvement in the case further underscores the widespread nature of the alleged corruption and irregularities in the SSC recruitment process.
The CBI's investigation into the SSC recruitment case has been thorough and extensive, with multiple charge sheets filed and numerous individuals summoned to court. The agency's efforts to uncover the truth and hold those responsible accountable have been ongoing, with the final charge sheet recently submitted to the Alipore court. The case has also highlighted the broader issue of corruption and irregularities in recruitment processes across various sectors. The involvement of high-profile individuals and the subsequent legal proceedings have brought attention to the need for transparency and accountability in recruitment processes to ensure fairness and integrity.
