Teachers' recruitment case: HC directs SSC programme officer to appear before CBI

KOLKATA: Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed SSC programme officer Samarjit Acharya to appear before CBI in connection with SSC group D staff recruitment case.

A single bench of the Calcutta High Court headed by Justice Abhijit Ganguly directed that Acharya should appear before the CBI by 6 pm on Wednesday.

After questioning him, the CBI may question former Advisor of the School Service Commission again if it deems it necessary.

The CBI submitted the report of interrogation of Prasad in the Calcutta High Court. That report will be submitted with the Registrar General of the High Court. The hearing of the case has been adjourned till April 26.

On Tuesday, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court refused to interfere with an order of a single bench that directed Sinha to appear before the CBI in connection with alleged irregularities in recruitment but barred the agency from taking him into custody. Sinha went to the CBI office at 5.10 pm on Tuesday, following the order of the division bench.

Observing that a stay granted to him by another division bench presided by Justice Soumen Sen expired on Monday, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay permitted the Central Bureau of Investigation to hold custodial interrogation of him and directed the officer-in-charge of Survey Park Police station in Kolkata to ensure the presence of Sinha before the agency.

In 2016, the state recommended the recruitment of about 13, 000 candidates as Group D workers. The Central School Service Commission conducted examinations and interviews periodically.

Then a panel was created. The term of that panel ended in 2019. Allegedly, even after the expiration of the term of the panel, the commission has made a lot of appointments.