WBSSC Scam: Deprived petitioner to replace terminated daughter of minister

The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed that a deprived petitioner in the case related to the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam be appointed in place of the daughter of a state minister, whose service was recently terminated following court order.

Recently, the Calcutta High Court had ordered termination of service of Ankita Adhikari, the daughter Minister of State for Education, Paresh Chandra Adhikari, as a higher secondary political science teacher in a state- run school, since she secured the job without qualifying in the merit list and without appearing for the personality test.

The single-judge bench of justice Avijit Gangopadhyay ordered the termination based on a petition by Babita Sarkar, who was deprived to make room for Ankita.

On Friday, justice Gangopadhyay ordered that Babita be appointed to the post vacated following Ankita's termination by June 30. At the same time, Gangopadhyay also ordered that the salary amount paid to Ankita during her 41-month tenure be also paid to Babita.

As per the order, the payment process on this count to Babita should be completed by July 10.

Earlier, Gangopadhyay had ordered Ankita to return the salary she drew during her 41 months of services to the court in two instalments. She has already paid the first instalment.


Incidentally, Babita's was ranked 20th in the merit list. However, later she came to know that Ankita was named in the 20th spot following which her own ranking was pushed to the 21st position.

Instead of accepting it as an irony of fate, Babita started a prolonged battle and finally on Friday the court order went in her favour.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting an inquiry into the recruitment scam.

Ankita's father Paresh Chandra Adhikari and former Education Minister and Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee have already been questioned by the CBI sleuths in this matter. - IANS