Primary TET: HC orders removal of Primary Education Board chairman Manik Bhattacharya

TMC MLA Manik Bhattacharya was earlier called in for questioning by the CBI in regards to the Primary TET corruption case.

New Delhi: TMC MLA Manik Bhattacharya was asked to step down from his position as the Chairman of the Board of Primary Education by Calcutta High Court Judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay on Monday (June 20). Manik Bhattacharya's alleged involvement in the Primary School Teachers recruitment corruption case has landed him in this position. According to reports, Secretary of the Board of Directors, Ratna Chakraborty Bagchi will temporarily fill in his position as the Chairman.

Manik Bhattacharya is also summoned to court on Tuesday (June 21).

He has earlier questioned by the CBI on June 13 on the orders of the court. The central intelligence agency also questioned the board's secretary Ratna Chakraborty Bagchi. Both of them had reached the CBI office at Nizam Palace ahead of schedule. 

Primary TET corruption case

It is alleged that in the 2014 TET, 269 teachers in the second recruitment list were illegally given extra one number. According to CBI sources, the investigators wanted to know from the duo at whose behest the second recruitment list was published in the 2014 TET. Why were only 269 teachers one Number increased? Who decided to increase the number? Whether he has any information in the government file.

After a CBI inquiry was ordered into the case, the High Court had also ordered the dismissal of 269 people from their jobs. In addition, the HC ordered a ban on the entry of 269 teachers to the school and suspended their salaries.

On June 15, Justice Gangopadhyay had ordered for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to be set up for conducting a probe into the recruitment scam.

Accordingly, on June 17, the CBI submitted names of the six members of the SIT to the Calcutta High Court. On the same day, the agency submitted the first status report on the progress of the agency`s investigation in the issue.

Meanwhile on June 16, the West Bengal government approached a division bench, headed by Justice Subrata Talukdar, challenging the entire order for CBI inquiry in the matter by Justice Gangopadhyay.

(With IANS inputs)