WBSSC scam: Calcutta HC expresses anguish over lack of coordination between CBI and its counsel

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday expressed anguish over the lack of coordination between the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and its counsel in the case of the multi-crore teachers' recruitment scam in West Bengal.

A division bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Ajay Kumar Gupta expressed this anguish while hearing a bail petition for West Bengal Board of Secondary Education's (WBBSE) former President, Kalyanmoy Gangopadhyay, who is currently in judicial custody for his alleged involvement in the scam.

On Thursday, after the CBI counsel was unable to give satisfactory answer to the bench's queries relating to the exact charges against Gangopadhyay, Justice Bagchi expressed his anguish over this lack of coordination between the investigation officers of CBI and the agency's counsel in the matter.

"Please sit and discuss the matter with the investigation official and try to understand the matter in detail. The court wants a clear observation from you in the matter. Better you approach Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay who is mainly dealing in the matter. He will explain everything to you. The CBI should also understand the seriousness of the matter. We feel sorry to face such sort of investigators in the matter," he told the CBI counsel.

Thereafter, the bench postponed the hearing in the matter till January 4.

Incidentally, on Wednesday, this same division bench rejected the bail application of former WBSSC Chairman and former Vice Chancellor of the University of North Bengal, Subiresh Bhattacharya in the same teachers' recruitment scam.

Justice Bagchi, on Wednesday observed that the role of Bhattacharya in the matter is nothing but "utter betrayal".

"This is not the job of a postmaster. Corruption in recruitment of teachers is nothing but betrayal of society. Can't society expect that the recruitment of a teacher will be done through fair and transparent means?" he had said.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Thursday extended the judicial custody of former West Bengal Education Minister and ex-Trinamool Congress secretary general, Partha Chatterjee and six others for another 14 days in connection with the recruitment scam.

All the seven individuals will be presented at the same court again on January 5 next year. On Thursday, Chatterjee's counsel Selim Rahman made a fiery argument at the court, even going to the extent of questioning CBI's competence as regards producing concrete evidence in the matter.