Paresh Adhikari questioned for 3 hrs

Kolkata: Minister of State for Education Paresh Chandra Adhikari finally appeared before the CBI at Nizam Palace on Thursday, going straight there for interrogation from the Kolkata airport entering a little before 7.30 pm. His questioning continued till nearly 10.30 pm on Thursday night. He left Nizam Palace at around 10.35 pm.

According to sources, the CBI officers recorded the statement of Adhikari in connection with the recruitment of his daughter. Earlier in the day, the CBI had filed an FIR against Adhikari and his daughter after the minister failed to meet the deadline set by the Calcutta High Court for appearance before the agency in connection with the alleged illegal appointment of his daughter as a teacher in a state government-aided school. Adhikari and his daughter have been booked under Sections 420 (cheating and dishonesty) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The Calcutta High Court had ordered Adhikari to appear before the CBI by 3 pm on Thursday. Adhikari's lawyers told the court that he would reach Kolkata airport by 6:30 pm. The court then asked the Bidhannagar police to take him to the CBI office as soon as he landed at the airport. The minister flew into the city from Bagdogra. He took a train on Tuesday night from his native place in North Bengal along with his daughter. They got down from the train at Burdwan station and could not be traced. The court had initially ordered the minister to appear before the CBI on May 17. It was hearing a petition filed by a candidate who claimed that she was denied a job despite having secured higher marks than Adhikari's daughter in the recruitment examination.

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the CBI to question Adhikari over the alleged appointment of his daughter as a teacher in the government-aided school.