Ashish Ranjan
Wednesday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned Sujoy Krishna Bhadra for approximately three hours regarding the multi-billion dollar school recruitment fraud in West Bengal.Sujoy Krishna Bhadra has stated that he has no idea how he became known as the “Uncle of Kalighat,” the neighbourhood where Trinamool Congress supreme and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee resides.
When the federal agency questioned some of the other defendants, they referred to Bhadra as “Kalighat er Kaku” (Uncle of Kalighat). Mamata Banerjee, leader of the Trinamool Congress and chief minister of West Bengal, resides in the Kalighat neighbourhood.In a previous interview with a television station, Bhadra stated that he works in the office of Abhishek Banerjee, national general secretary of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and nephew of Mamata Banerjee.
“Abhishek Banerjee is saheb to me. His cubicle is mine. I’ve been employed there since 2009, Bhadra informed the media.He stated, however, that he does not know Tapas Mondal, a co-accused in the fraud who revealed Bhadra’s identity first.”I came in response to a summons. I have told the officers everything they wished to know. The agency did not request any documents from me, Bhadra informed the media after being questioned.
Later, a second suspect, Gopal Dalapati, who has been questioned twice by the CBI, told the media that he heard the name ‘Kalighat er kaku’ from Kuntal Ghosh, a former TMC youth wing leader who was detained by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in January for alleged involvement in the scam.Dalapati had previously informed the media, “Ghosh stated multiple times that he must send payments to Kalighat er kaku.”
“I reside in Behala and work in New Alipore. I have no idea how I became known as ‘Uncle of Kalighat. Those who said this should provide a clearer explanation,” Bhadra told the media previously.While the CBI investigates the fraud on the orders of the Calcutta high court, the ED investigates the money laundering trace in parallel. Wednesday, the ED also questioned Jayashree, Ghosh’s wife.
The federal agency has also requested CCTv footage from at least three cafeterias in Kolkata. The ED has learned that some of the accused held meetings in these establishments.”The party position is evident. Our tolerance for corruption is nil. We have complete confidence in the judiciary. “Unfortunately, when the name of a BJP leader surfaces during an investigation, we do not see the same zeal from the central agencies, and the implicated are not questioned,” said TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh.
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“The complete party is involved, from top to bottom. It is impossible that the chief minister was unaware of the multibillion-dollar swindle. And if she has no idea what transpired right under her nose, she should acknowledge her failure and resign,” said BJP leader Rahul Sinha.
