Calcutta high court orders transfer of graft case involving TMC MLA Tapas Saha to CBI

KOLKATA: The Calcutta high court on Tuesday ordered that a school job-for-bribe case, in which Trinamool Congress MLA Tapas Saha is an accused, be transferred to the CBI from the Anti-Corruption Branch of the West Bengal Police.


The court said it will be appropriate if the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducts the probe since it is investigating other cases of alleged illegal recruitments in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools on orders of another bench of the high court.

Justice Rajasekhar Mantha found it curious that the MLA had not been taken into custody despite material found against him while three other accused in the case had been arrested by the ACB.

He directed the transfer of the case, in which money was alleged to have been taken from people promising them jobs in Group C and D posts in primary and secondary schools, from the state ACB to the CBI.

The petitioner complained that substantial sums of money were received by the three accused persons on account of the MLA of Tehatta constituency in Nadia district promising many jobs in the Group C, Group D posts of primary and secondary schools in the state.

It was alleged by the petitioner that employment was also promised in the police and the fire service departments of the state.

The petitioner sought transfer of investigation on grounds that the CBI is already conducting a detailed probe into the recruitment scam concerning the School Service Commission in West Bengal, which is being monitored by the high court.

It was also claimed by the petitioner that there can be conflicting findings when two separate agencies are investigating cases which are substantially similar and as such the case be transferred to the central agency.

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