The petitioner alleged that out of about 23 lakh candidates in the Teacher Eligibility Test in 2014, 269 candidates were given an additional ‘one’ number for a wrong question.
The petitioner alleged that out of about 23 lakh candidates in the Teacher Eligibility Test in 2014, 269 candidates were given an additional ‘one’ number for a wrong question.
The Calcutta High Court has directed the CBI to probe the appointment of 269 primary school teachers in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools, alleging that they did not pass the eligibility test.
Passing the order on June 13, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay directed Board of Primary Education secretary Ratna Chakraborty Bagchi and chairman Manik Bhattacharya to appear before the CBI at their office later in the day.
Justice Gangopadhyay directed the central agency to register a case in connection with the alleged illegal appointments in primary schools and initiate an investigation immediately.
The petitioner alleged that out of around 23 lakh candidates in the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) in 2014, 269 candidates were given an additional ‘one’ number for wrong questions.
He claimed that the second panel containing the names of these 269 candidates was published in 2017.
Terming the second panel as invalid, the court said the appointments of these 269 candidates were invalid.
It directed that the salaries of these teachers working in various schools in the state be withheld and they be barred from entering their respective workplaces.
In the light of the directions of the High Court, both Chakravarti Bagchi and Bhattacharya appeared before the CBI officials and were interrogated for more than four hours.
Justice Gangopadhyay had earlier ordered a CBI probe into at least eight cases of alleged illegality in the appointment of teaching and non-teaching staff by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education in government-sponsored and aided schools.