The West Bengal teacher recruitment scam, which has already landed former state education minister Partha Chatterjee in jail, has taken a dramatic turn with the involvement of two prominent BJP leaders.
According to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sources, former MP Dibyendu Adhikari who is also brother of Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari and ex-IPS officer Bharati Ghosh, both now affiliated with the BJP, have been named in the corruption scandal.
The CBI recently submitted a detailed report and a supplementary chargesheet in a special court, implicating them alongside Trinamool Congress’s Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Bala Thakur and several other influential figures.
Dibyendu Adhikari, the brother of Suvendu Adhikari, and former TMC loyalist Bharati Ghosh, are under scrutiny for allegedly recommending candidates for teaching jobs in exchange for bribes.
The CBI report claims that Dibyendu and Mamata Bala Thakur each recommended 20 candidates, while Bharati Ghosh recommended four. The investigation gained momentum after CBI raids last year uncovered trunks of documents from the state education department, including recommendation letters from the accused.
The scandal first emerged in July 2022 when the CBI arrested West Bengal MLA Partha Chatterjee and seized Rs 51 crore in cash, gold, and foreign currency from the residence of his close associate, Arpita Mukherjee.
The alleged corruption occurred during Chatterjee’s tenure as education minister. The inclusion of BJP leaders in the probe has added to the case a new dimension, intensifying the political fallout in the state.
While the CBI’s findings have triggered a political storm, the accused have denied any wrongdoings.
Bharati Ghosh claimed she only requested a change of examination center for one candidate and threatened legal action if her name was linked to corruption.
Mamata Bala Thakur dismissed the allegations as a conspiracy, and Dibyendu Adhikari stated he would present his side only in court or to the investigating agency.
As the CBI investigation continues, questions are being raised about the extent of corruption in the state’s recruitment processes and the involvement of high-profile leaders from both sides of the political spectrum.
