CBI grills former SSC advisor Shanti Prasad Sinha in Bengal

Kolkata, April 6 : The CBI has questioned former advisor of the School Service Commission (SSC) Shanti Prasad Singha (Sinha), one of the prime accused in the alleged recruitment irregularity of teaching and non-teaching staff in the West Bengal government-sponsored schools, following a directive from Calcutta High Court. Armed with an order from a division bench of Calcutta High court that the federal agency can quiz him only, the SSC former advisor had appeared at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s city office at Nizam Palace after 5 pm on Tuesday where he was grilled over three hours, sources said on Wednesday. The Calcutta HC division bench headed by Justice Subrata Talukdar, which issued the order not to arrest the former advisor, also agreed to hear cases related to alleged irregularity in the appointment of teachers and other staff for secondary schools by the School Service Commission (SSC). Before the division bench of Justice Subrata Talukdar, four other division benches of the court had refused to hear cases. Before Justice Subrata Talukdar’s division bench, Calcutta high Court single bench judge justice Abhijit Gangopadhaya had orderedthat if CBI may deem fit, then it can quiz the former advisor after taking him into its custody. The CBI on Tuesday submitted a report after questioning Sinha and four other former members of the advisory committee of the SSC in Justice Gangopadhyay’s court in a sealed cover. After going through the report, Justice Gangopadhyay said, “It seems Sinha had masterminded the whole episode in which Alok Sarkar (member) was also involved.” The court would also hear the proceeding on Wednesday. PC SJC BM

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