What New Evidence Has Emerged in the WBSSC Job Case?

Synopsis
A new audio clip has emerged in the West Bengal cash-for-school job scandal, leading the CBI to seek court permission to collect voice samples from five key individuals. This development could significantly impact the ongoing investigation and strengthen the case against prominent figures involved.
Key Takeaways
- New audio evidence emerges in the WBSSC job case.
- CBI seeks court approval for voice samples.
- Five individuals implicated in the investigation.
- Concerns raised about the authenticity of the audio clip.
- Potential implications for former education minister Partha Chatterjee.
Kolkata, June 13 (NationPress) A new audio recording linked to the multi-crore cash-for-school job scandal in West Bengal has emerged. In response, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) approached a specialized court in Kolkata on Thursday to seek authorization to obtain voice samples from five individuals whose voices are allegedly captured in this audio recording.
Among the five identified are former chairman of the West Bengal School Service Commission, Subiresh Bhattacharya, along with former WBSSC secretary and staff members Samarjit Acharya and Parna Bhattacharya.
The other two individuals involved are Niladri Das and Pankaj Bansal, both associated with NYSA, the private entity contracted by the commission to manage and preserve optical mark recognition (OMR) sheets for recruitment examinations.
All five individuals have been named in the chargesheet submitted by the CBI concerning the school-job scandal. However, the CBI's legal representative informed the court that revealing the source of this audio recording in an open court could compromise ongoing investigations and maintain necessary confidentiality.
During the proceedings, Bhattacharya's attorney questioned the authenticity of the audio recording and its origins, suggesting that the introduction of this new evidence after three chargesheets were filed by the CBI raised significant concerns about its credibility.
The judge of the special court remarked that while public disclosure was not permissible, the central investigating agency must confidentially inform the court about the source of the audio recording by attaching a “confidential note.”
Meanwhile, insiders revealed that the conversations captured in the audio recording outline how the former West Bengal education minister and Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee personally oversaw and directed every step of the scam.
Furthermore, these revelations could strengthen the CBI's case against Chatterjee, who has already been identified as the main architect of the school job scandal by both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Additionally, these documents are expected to play a vital role in demonstrating the connections between high-ranking officials of both WBSSC and NYSA, facilitating the corrupt practices.