Bengal school job case: CBI seeks Calcutta HC’s permission to replace head of probe team

Kolkata, Dec 20 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday approached the Calcutta High Court seeking permission to replace the current head of its special investigation team (SIT) probing the multi-crore cash-for-school job case but was asked to move the apex court.

Since the CBI probe in the school job case is court-directed and court-monitored, the change of any member of the probe team concerned requires court approval.

However, the single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha has refused to entertain the plea and instead advised the central agency counsel to approach the Supreme Court, since the matter is pending there.

Currently, the SIT of CBI probing the school- job case is headed by Kalyan Bhattacharya, an officer in the rank of superintendent. Bhattacharya earlier replaced Dharamveer Singh in May this year and even then, the replacement was done with the permission of the court.

On Friday, CBI informed the court that with just one year left before his retirement, Bhattacharya expressed his wish to be transferred to Delhi where his family is staying.

The CBI has proposed the name of Angshuman Saha, another prominent member of the same probe team as the new head of the SIT.

However, with Justice Sinha refusing to hear the matter, the CBI is left with no other option but to move the apex court for permission.

The investigation by the CBI in the matter is currently at an extremely crucial stage with the agency having shown several accused in the case as arrested recently, especially those who have been granted bail in the cases registered against them by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is conducting a parallel probe in the matter.

Hence, sources said, the agency wants someone who had been a member of the investigating team for a long time like Saha, as the replacement for Bhattacharya.

–IANS

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