Bengal municipality job scam: CBI starts process of summoning officials concerned

Kolkata, July 17 (IANS)  The CBI has prepared a list of top officials and functionaries, including the chairmen and chief executives of 14 municipalities in West Bengal to whom the central agency sleuths will issue summons for questioning one by one in the coming days.

Besides these officials, the central agency sleuths have also decided to call some senior officials attached to the state municipal affairs and urban development department, the nodal department for all urban civic bodies in the state.

It is perceived that the fresh initiative by the central agency sleuths has surfaced following an admonishment received by the investigation sleuths of both CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the slow process in the probe as well as faulty investigation by the single- judge bench of the Calcutta High Court, Justice Amrita Sinha.    

While hearing the matter on July 14, Justice Sinha observed that since all related documents and information are available in open forum, what the purpose was for the central agency sleuths in sending a separate notice to the municipalities' authorities seeking information about the details of municipalities' acts. "Was this a part of the probe in this matter?" Justice Sinha questioned.

She had also sought a list of names of the investigating officials of the two central agencies probing the municipalities' recruitment case. "I will review all the aspects in the matter and if necessary I will order the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the matter. If necessary the matter will be investigated under the direct supervision of the Calcutta High Court," Justice Sinha observed.

Meanwhile, the ED sleuths have sought details of the recruitment done by these 15 municipalities in 2014 and 2017 from the state municipal affairs & urban development department. An ED source said that their officials have accessed most of these documents and currently they are examining them thoroughly.

In fact, the issue of multi- crore municipalities recruitment scam first surfaced while the ED sleuths accessed related documents from the residence of the private real estate promoter, Ayan Sil, while conducting raids at his residence in relation to the multi- crore school recruitment scam.

The order for central agency probe in the municipalities recruitment scam was originally given by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court. Later, the matter was referred to the bench of Justice Sinha. However, she had also upheld the order of Justice Gangopadhyay's bench and asked the central agencies to continue with their investigation in the matter.