West Bengal: CBI summons former TMC block president for questioning in teachers' scam

Kolkata, April 16 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths have summoned former Trinamool Congress block president of Nalhati in Birbhum district, Bivas Adhikari to the agency's office at Kolkata for questioning in the multi-crore scam in recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in state-run schools of West Bengal.

Sources said that Adhikari has been asked to reach the agency's Nizam Palace office in central Kolkata by Sunday afternoon only. On Saturday, the CBI sleuths conducted raid and search operations at the residence, office and ashram of Adhikari.

Sources said that during the raid and search operations at these places on Saturday, the CBI sleuths recovered a number of incriminating documents clearly indicating Adhikari's involvement in the recruitment scam. "He has been summoned for the purpose of questioning on the evidence and documents secured by our investigation officials," a CBI associate said.

It is learnt that the role of Adhikari as the-then chief of the Bengal Teachers' Training Association between 2012 and 2018 is under the scanner of the central agency sleuths.

The sleuths suspect that besides arranging for illegal recruitments, he had also been involved in the process of getting approval and accreditation for private teachers' training colleges and earning hefty sums through that process.

Adhikari is known to be an extremely close confidante of Trinamool Congress legislator and the former president of West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) Manik Bhattacharya, who is currently in judicial custody in connection with the recruitment scam.