West Bengal SSC recruitment scam: CBI makes 1st arrests; ex-advisor, former chairman held

After the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) made its first arrest in connection with the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam on Wednesday. The CBI arrested former advisor of SSC Shanti Prasad Sinha and former chairman of SSC, Ashok Saha, after interrogating them for hours in connection with the scam. The ED, which is investigating the money-laundering angle, had previously arrested the then-West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, along with his aide Arpita Mukherjee. 

SSC recruitment scam & HC's order 

The scam dates back to 2016 when the state had recommended the appointment of around 13,000 group D staff in state-run schools. Based on the recommendation, the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBCSSC) conducted exams and following the interviews, the commission has finalised a panel of prospective employees. The validity of the panel expired on May 4, 2019. 

A section of candidates who failed to secure appointments despite remaining enlisted in the panel moved court alleging that the Commission had illegally recommended appointments from the panel even after its expiry. During the course of back-to-back hearings, the Court had lashed out at the commission and warned it of a Central agencies' probe into the corruption charges if required.

Thereafter, it ordered CBI probes in at least seven cases of alleged irregularities in the recruitment of assistant teachers in classes IX and X and non-teaching staff in group C and D in state-run and government-aided schools. The  ED is investigating these cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).