New Delhi: The CBI has conducted searches in West Bengal in connection with the primary teachers recruitment scam case at the premises of aides of former education minister Partha Chatterjee, officials said.
"It was found that the accused were allegedly acting as conduits in collecting bribe money from candidates by promising them jobs as primary teachers," the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said in a statement.
During the operation the premises of Chatterjee's former political private secretary, Partha Sarkar alias Bhaja, former officer of special duty, Prabir Banerjee, and former government private secretary, Sukanta Acharjee, were searched by the agency.
"During the searches, various incriminating documents/articles were recovered and are under scrutiny," the statement said.
Cases shifted from HC judge
Meanwhile, two cases being heard by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta HC were reassigned to Justice Amrita Sinha in accordance with a Supreme Court directive. Justice Sinha will now hear both cases. The SC recently asked Calcutta HC Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam to reassign cases away from Justice Gangopadhyay after Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee challenged an order by the judge last month asking the ED and the CBI to probe him in the teacher recruitment scam.
Justice Gangopadhyay referred to this issue while speaking to reporters. The SC said a judge should be “disabled from hearing a case” against a political personality if s/he gave an opinion to the media on the political personality. It also sought a report from the Calcutta HC registrar-general, after ascertaining from Justice Gangopadhyay, whether he had indeed given such an interview.