Kolkata, May 20 (Bureau) The CBI on Friday began quizzing West Bengal’s junior Education Minister Paresh Chandra Adhikari for the second time, barely 12 hours after the first, in relation to the alleged irregularity in the appointment of his daughter in a government-aided school, even as Calcutta High Court in a new directive ordered dismissal of job of Ankita Adhikari. The accused minister appeared before time after the CBI summoned him around 11 am at its Nizam Palace office in the city as yesterday’s question sessions went incomplete. Adhikari, who first skipped the HC order to appear before the CBI by 8 pm on Tuesday and went incommunicado for over 36 hours, appeared before the CBI at 7.30 pm on Thursday after the CBI filed an FIR against him following a court order.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday grilled Adhikary for nearly three hours from 7.30 pm. Meanwhile, court sources said Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay is hearing a fresh petition filed by one Babita Sarkar, who alleged that the minister’s daughter -Ankita Adhikari – got the teaching job in a government-aided school in north Bengal despite having poor score than her in the merit list in 2018. The judge in a fresh order on Friday barred Ankita Adhikari from entering the school and ordered to return her salary for 43 months in two instalments. The judge said the salary to be returned will be deposited in the Registered General office in the high court. The CBI filed an FIR against Adhikary after he failed to meet the 3 pm deadline set by Calcutta High Court for appearance before the CBI probing officials.
The minister, along with his daughter, was “booked under sections 420 (cheating and dishonesty) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) besides sections under Prevention of Corruption Act”, said another CBI officer. The central agency, following orders of the high court, has been investigating a number of cases where teaching and non-teaching staff were allegedly appointed illegally in schools following recommendations by the state’s School Service Commission (SSC). The CBI also quizzed former education minister Partha Chatterjee on Wednesday for nearly 3 and half hours for alleged irregularities in the recruitment of teachers and non-teaching staff in state-run and government-aided schools. Chatterjee is now IT and commerce minister and reportedly moved the Supreme Court against the Calcutta high court order. Meanwhile, a lady job aspirant, who along with others sat on a dharna at Dharmatala, attempted to commit suicide in front of police last evening.