CBI Secures Court Approval to Collect Kuntal Ghosh's Voice Samples in Bengal School Job Case
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Synopsis
The CBI has obtained court approval to collect voice samples from Kuntal Ghosh, an accused in the cash-for-school job scandal in West Bengal. This follows new evidence in the case, which implicates multiple individuals, including former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee. The trial is currently underway under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Key Takeaways
- CBI authorized to collect Kuntal Ghosh's voice samples.
- New evidence prompted the need for voice samples.
- Ghosh was previously arrested by the ED.
- 53 individuals/entities implicated in the case.
- Trial under PMLA has already commenced.
Kolkata, Feb 14 (NationPress) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been granted permission by a special court in Kolkata to gather the voice samples of Kuntal Ghosh, another suspect in the cash-for-school job case in West Bengal.
On February 11, after three unsuccessful attempts, the CBI successfully collected the voice samples of the main accused, Sujay Krishna Bhadra.
The CBI's attorney informed the special court on Friday that obtaining Ghosh's voice samples has become essential due to newly uncovered evidence by the investigation team.
After hearing the arguments from the CBI attorney, the judge of the special court authorized the agency to proceed with collecting Ghosh's voice samples. The court has set February 18 as the date for this collection.
Ghosh is currently on bail. He was arrested a couple of years ago by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is conducting a parallel investigation into the school job case. The CBI subsequently also classified him as arrested regarding this case.
The primary accusation against Ghosh is that he allegedly collected several crores of rupees from various job-seekers who paid money to secure positions in state-run schools in West Bengal.
Additionally, he faces charges for creating a fraudulent website that falsely listed unsuccessful candidates in the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) as successful.
The trial process for the case registered by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has commenced this month at a special court in Kolkata. The charge sheets filed by the ED identify a total of 53 accused, comprising 29 individuals and 24 corporate entities or trusts.
Notable individuals named as accused include the former West Bengal Education Minister and Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee, his close associate Arpita Mukherjee, and his son-in-law Kalyanmoy Bhattacharya, among others.
The Babli Chatterjee Memorial Trust, named after Chatterjee's late wife, is also implicated in the ED charge sheet as an accused entity. It is alleged that illicit proceeds were represented as donations to this trust, thereby diverting the funds.
