A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Monday dismissed the probe agency’s plea seeking extension of the custody of North Bengal University vice-chancellor Subiresh Bhattacharya, who was arrested in connection with the multi-crore West Bengal School Service Commission. (WBSSC) Recruitment scam.
The CBI had sought extension of Bhattacharya’s custody for four more days. The court also rejected the bail plea of Bhattacharya’s counsel and instead sent him to judicial custody till October 10.
CBI arrested Bhattacharya, former chairman of WBSSC, in connection with recruitment irregularities. On 20 September, the special counting of the CBI sent him to judicial custody till 26 September.
He was produced in the court on Monday and the CBI counsel appealed for extension of his CBI custody by four more days.
The CBI counsel submitted that since Bhattacharya was not cooperating with the investigating officers and hence there was a need to extend his CBI custody.
However, Bhattacharya’s counsel submitted that he was not questioned even once during the last seven days in CBI custody and hence he should be granted bail.
The judge told the CBI counsel that Bhattacharya’s contention that Bhattacharya was not cooperating with the officials of the central agency was not tenable as he was not questioned even once during the last seven days.
The CBI’s investigating officer in the case on Monday informed the court that the answer-sheets of over 1,000 candidates who appeared in the teacher recruitment exam by WBSSC were tampered with.
He also told the court that Bhattacharya was fully aware of the tampering of the answer sheet.
Earlier, CBI lawyers and CBI officials had to face the wrath of the judge for producing Bhattacharya in the court after the stipulated time.
The CBI counsel apologised, saying the reason for the delay was heavy traffic jams on Kolkata roads.
However, the judge was not satisfied with his explanation and said that even the walking distance between CBI’s Nizam’s Palace office and the court cannot justify the delay.
Former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, Former Secondary Board of West Bengal education (WBBSE) chairman, Kalyanmoy Gangopadhyay, former secretary of WBSSC, Ashok Saha and former convener of the screening committee of WBSSC are already in judicial custody in connection with the scam.
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