Teachers' scam: Trinamool MLA sent to four-day CBI custody

Kolkata, April 17 (IANS) A special CBI court on Monday remanded Trinamool Congress legislator Jiban Krishna Saha to four-day CBI custody for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore scam in the recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in state-run schools in West Bengal.

Saga will be presented before the same court on April 21. The court also permitted the legislator's wife to meet him in CBI custody in the interim period.

Arguing the case, the CBI counsel alleged direct involvement of Saha in the recruitment scam.

"The accused is responsible for depriving the genuine candidates. A number of recruitment-related documents have been seized from his residence. The CBI needs to take him into custody for further interrogation and investigation," the CBI counsel argued.

On Monday morning, the CBI arrested Saha after 65 hours of raid at the latter's residence. He was taken to CBI's Nizam Palace office in central Kolkata. After a medical test, Saha was presented before the special court, which remanded him to four-day CBI custody.

Saha is the third Trinamool legislator to be arrested in connection with the recruitment scam, and the first by the CBI. In July last year, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is conducting a parallel probe into the case, had arrested former state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, who continues to be the Trinamool legislator from Behala (West) constituency.

The ED had also arrested former President of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE), Manik Bhattacharya, who is the Trinamool legislator from Palashipara Assembly constituency in Nadia district.

Both Chatterjee and Bhattacharya are in judicial custody for their alleged involvement in the recruitment scam.