SSC recruitment scam: CBI serves second notice to West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday served a notice to West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee for the second round of interrogation in the SSC recruitment scam case. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader has been asked to appear before the CBI's Nizam Palace office next week. Earlier on Wednesday, the minister was grilled by CBI for over three and a half hours in connection with the case. 

The SSC recruitment scam pertains to irregularities in the appointment of teachers to government-aided schools on the recommendations of the School Service Commission when Partha Chatterjee was the Education Minister. 

Notably, the Kolkata High Court has given CBI, the liberty to arrest Chatterjee if he fails to join the interrogation. Moreover, the single judge bench of Justice Gangopadhyay also said that it expects the TMC MLA, who presently holds the Industry, Commerce, and Parliamentary Affairs portfolio in the Mamata Banerjee government, to resign from his post 'in the interest of justice'.

The Minister has moved Supreme Court, challenging the verdict of the High Court Division Bench. Chatterjee has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) and the SC could consider the plea on Friday. 

A division bench of the High Court had earlier ordered a CBI probe in at least seven cases of alleged irregularities in the recruitment of assistant teachers in classes IX and X and non-teaching staff in groups C and D in state-run as government-aided schools. The bench also ordered the termination of the illegal appointments.

What is the SSC recruitment scam?

In 2016, the Mamata Banerjee-led government 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 interviews and finalized a panel of prospective employees.

The validity of the panel expired on May 4, 2019. Thereafter, a section of candidates who failed to secure appointments despite remaining enlisted in the panel moved the 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 CBI probe into the corruption charges if required. Finally, in November 2021, a CBI investigation into the scam was ordered.