CBI files final chargesheet in Bengal municipalities jobs case

Kolkata, Jan 2 The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday filed its final chargesheet in the multi-crore cash-for-municipalities jobs case in West Bengal at a special court in Kolkata.

In the final chargesheet, the CBI has named Jyotishman Chattopadhyay, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, as an accused in the case.

During the peak period of the alleged scam, Chattopadhyay held key positions in the West Bengal Directorate of Local Bodies as well as the state Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Department.

The West Bengal Directorate of Local Bodies is the primary decision-making and implementing authority for recruitments in urban civic bodies, including municipal corporations and municipalities across the state.

Sources aware of the development said that earlier, CBI officials had conducted search operations at Chattopadhyay’s residence, during which they seized crucial documents linked to his alleged role in the municipalities’ jobs case.

The final chargesheet has also named a corporate entity, ABS Infozone Private Limited, owned by middleman Ayan Shil, as an accused. Shil is considered a key intermediary in the municipalities’ recruitment scam.

Officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had first stumbled upon the municipalities’ jobs scam while conducting raids at Shil’s residence a couple of years ago in connection with the multi-crore cash-for-school jobs case in West Bengal.

Subsequently, the CBI initiated a probe into the municipalities’ recruitment irregularities following directions from the Calcutta High Court. Shil was later arrested by the CBI in the case.

Investigators from the CBI and the ED, which conducted parallel probes into the municipalities’ and school jobs cases, have traced unauthorised assets worth over Rs 100 crore allegedly owned by Shil.

In October last year, the ED had informed investigators about the suspected involvement of shell companies used to divert the proceeds of crime. According to sources, the ED later received information about several companies linked to the municipalities’ recruitment corruption case.

Based on these inputs, ED officials carried out raids at multiple locations, including Beliaghata in north Kolkata, in October.

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