West Bengal School recruitment scam: Cal HC removes Primary Education Board chairman Manik Bhattacharya

The Calcutta High Court on Monday ordered that Manik Bhattacharya be removed as West Bengal Primary Education Board chairman while also directing him to appear before it on Tuesday in connection with alleged illegal appointment of primary teachers in government-sponsored and aided schools.

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who passed the order, had already ordered a court-monitored probe by a special investigation team of the CBI into the alleged illegal appointments of at least 269 primary teachers.

He directed that board secretary Ratna Chakraborty Bagchi will officiate as the president till the state government finds a replacement. Justice Gangopadhyay had on June 13 directed the CBI to start investigation by registering a case against the Board in connection with the alleged illegal appointments of at least 269 candidates as teachers in primary schools.

It had ordered Bhattacharya and Bagchi to appear before the CBI on that day itself. On June 15, the court ordered the formation of the SIT of the CBI to probe the appointments.