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Kolkata: In a significant development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday conducted simultaneous raids at seven locations in West Bengal, including at the residences of several Trinamool Congress leaders. The operation is part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of irregularities in the recruitment process of teachers through the School Service Commission (SSC).
According to reports, the search operations are underway in Kolkata, Salt Lake in North 24 Parganas, Cooch Behar and Murshidabad. The probe agency teams are being escorted by the armed personnel of the central armed police forces.
The case has attracted considerable attention because of its impact on the integrity of the education sector. The process by which teachers are selected for government schools is a matter of public interest. The direct involvement of the CBI in the case indicates a high level of concern regarding the legality of the SSC’s recruitment processes.
Although details of the seizures or findings from these searches have not been disclosed, it is clear that the CBI action is an important step forward in addressing allegations of corruption and misconduct within the recruitment processes of the SSC.
Former West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) chairman Kalyanmoy Gangopadhyay has been granted conditional bail in the multi-crore school-jobs case. Gangopadhyay had spent over 14 months in judicial custody after his arrest by the CBI on September 15 last year for his alleged involvement in the case.
This latest wave of search operations by the CBI underlines the seriousness of the situation and the urgent need for transparency in the recruitment process. As the investigation unfolds, the public and academia alike await the results, hoping that justice will be served and integrity restored.
