West Bengal teachers recruitment scam: CBI questions Paresh Adhikary for third consecutive day

West Bengal Minister Paresh Adhikary is allegedly involved in illegal recruitments made to government-aided schools on the SSC`s recommendations.

Image credit: PTI

Kolkata: West Bengal Minister Paresh Adhikary was questioned for the third consecutive day on Saturday in connection with an alleged teachers recruitment scam. The Calcutta high court on Friday (May 20) ordered Ankita Adhikary, the daughter of West Bengal`s junior education minister Paresh Adhikary, to return the salary which she has received as a school teacher since 2018 and also barred her from entering the school premises where she was working as an assistant teacher. Adhikary is allegedly involved in illegal recruitments made to government-aided schools on the SSC`s recommendations.

"This court is directing District Inspector Cooch Behar to terminate Ankita Adhikary and ensure that she be not allowed to enter the school premises where she taught all these years," Justice Gangopadhyay said. Gangopadhyay observed that Ankita should never be able to identify herself as a "teacher" for the rest of her life as she had "committed cheating in a noble profession like teaching."

"The profession that produces doctors and engineers has been cheated, Justice Gangopadhyay observed in court. According to CBI officers, Ankita`s name was inserted illegally into the waiting list of the would-be assistant teachers in political science for Classes XI and XII, superseding others with higher marks.

According to complainant Babita Sarkar, Ankita had secured 61 in the first state-level selection test in 2016 but did not appear in the personality test while other candidates who had secured more marks and appeared in the personality test did not get appointed, said CBI. Ankita Adhikary was teaching political science to classes 11 and 12 at Mekhliganj Indira Girls High School.