RecruitmentScam – ED Calls Bibhas Adhikari for Questioning
RecruitmentScam – The Enforcement Directorate has issued a fresh summons to Bibhas Adhikari in connection with the alleged irregularities in the primary school teacher recruitment process in West Bengal, according to agency officials on Tuesday. The development marks another step in the ongoing investigation into what has become one of the state’s most closely watched education-related cases.
ED Steps Up Questioning in Recruitment Probe
Adhikari, known to be closely associated with Trinamool Congress MLA Manik Bhattacharya, has been asked to appear before investigators for questioning. Bhattacharya was earlier arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in relation to alleged irregularities in the primary teacher recruitment process. He was later granted bail by the Calcutta High Court in 2024 and is currently out on conditional relief.
The recruitment case has been under parallel investigation by both the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation. While the CBI has been examining alleged criminal irregularities, the ED is focusing on potential financial misconduct and money laundering aspects linked to the appointments.
Previous Searches and Legal Proceedings
This is not the first time Adhikari has come under the scanner. Earlier, central agencies carried out search operations at several properties associated with him, including locations in Nalhati in Birbhum district. Investigators also searched a flat on Amherst Street in north Kolkata in 2022, shortly after Bhattacharya’s arrest. The Enforcement Directorate had claimed that Adhikari had links to that property, which was subsequently sealed following the search.
In April 2023, the CBI conducted additional raids at Adhikari’s residence and an ashram in Birbhum. During those operations, officials reportedly seized a substantial number of documents that were later examined as part of the broader inquiry. Adhikari was summoned multiple times to the CBI’s Nizam Palace office in Kolkata for questioning.
A chargesheet has already been filed against him in connection with the recruitment case, and the latest ED summons suggests that investigators are continuing to scrutinize his alleged role.
Political Links and Expanding Investigation
Adhikari previously served as the Trinamool Congress Block-II president in Nalhati and was also associated with a private B.Ed and D.El.Ed college organisation. His name surfaced prominently in the investigation following the arrest of Bhattacharya, who had served as president of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education.
Other accused individuals in the recruitment case have publicly raised questions about Adhikari’s role. Kuntal Ghosh, a former Trinamool youth leader from Hooghly district who was arrested in the same case, had earlier questioned why Adhikari had not been taken into custody. Similarly, Gopal Dalpati, another individual named in the probe, had also referred to Adhikari during the course of the investigation. These statements were followed by further searches at Adhikari’s premises.
Chargesheet Details and Allegations
In October 2025, the CBI submitted its final chargesheet in the primary recruitment scam. Among those named were Manik Bhattacharya, Bibhas Adhikari and Ratna Bagchi, another accused in the case.
According to findings cited in the chargesheet, around 350 individuals allegedly secured primary school teaching positions through irregular means. Investigators suspect that intermediaries facilitated these appointments, and Adhikari is believed to have acted as an agent within the alleged network. However, the matter remains under judicial consideration, and the accused are entitled to contest the allegations in court.
With fresh questioning now underway, the Enforcement Directorate’s latest move indicates that the financial trail linked to the recruitment process is still being examined. Officials have not disclosed further details about the scope of the interrogation, but the case continues to draw significant public and legal attention across West Bengal.