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Calcutta HC asks CBI to form SIT to probe primary teachers’ recruitment scam

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Extending its earlier order, the Calcutta High Court’s single judge bench of Justice Avijit Gangopadhyay on Wednesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for conducting a probe into the primary teachers’ recruitment scam in West Bengal.

Justice Gangopadhyay said that members of the SIT should not be assigned to other cases till this probe is completed. The members of the SIT cannot also be transferred before the completion of the probe.

“I expect the CBI will do exemplary work in the probe process. I hope that this investigation does not face the same fate as the Saradha chit fund scam. My only wish is that those deprived because of corruption get proper employment scope,” he said.

Meanwhile, the CBI sleuths, on Wednesday afternoon conducted a raid at the office of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) and seized all the documents pertaining to the recruitment.

On June 13 this year, Justice Gangopadhyay while ordering the CBI probe into the primary teachers’ recruitment scam, also ordered the immediate cancellation of the appointment of 269 candidates to the post of primary teachers. He observed that these 269 candidates secured jobs despite not qualifying in the written examination and some of them did not even appear for the same.

Recently, Justice Gangopadhyay, who had referred so many cases for a CBI enquiry since November last year, had expressed frustration over the slow progress of the central agency probe in all these cases. He also said that he sometimes wondered whether he made a mistake by ordering so many CBI probes.

The CBI is already conducting a probe into the recruitment irregularities in various teaching and non-teaching posts by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC). The CBI sleuths have also questioned former Education Minister and Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee twice in this connection.

Crime

Maharashtra TET paper leak: STF detains three during raid at cyber cafe in Hajipur

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Patna, July 2: The investigation into the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak has expanded to Bihar, with the Maharashtra Special Task Force (STF), assisted by Vaishali Police, conducting a late-night raid at a cyber cafe in Hajipur.

Three individuals, including the cafe operator, were detained for questioning.

According to the police, a team from the Maharashtra STF and the Thane Police, with support from the Vaishali Police, raided a cyber cafe located on Kachhari Road in Hajipur on Wednesday night.

The search operation continued until around 1:00 A.M. on Thursday, during which investigators examined documents and digital devices inside the premises.

Police said three individuals, including cafe operator Sonu Kumar, were detained following the raid.

The detained individuals are currently being questioned by the Maharashtra STF.

No formal announcement of their arrest has been made in the information provided, and the investigation is ongoing.

According to police sources, investigators recovered several digital items and documents during the operation.

These materials will undergo forensic examination as part of the investigation.

A Maharashtra Police official said, “This case is linked to the Maharashtra TET paper leak. We came here to investigate in connection with this matter; we have recovered some suspicious documents, and further action is underway.”

Sonu Kumar’s elder brother, Jitendra Kumar, said Sonu had left for Hajipur on Wednesday evening but did not return home.

According to him, Sonu’s wife informed the family that he was not answering his phone, prompting them to search for him throughout the night before learning about the police action on Thursday.

The Maharashtra TET paper leak investigation has already led to arrests in Maharashtra, Bihar, and Haryana.

Police investigations have identified Bijendra Gupta, a resident of Bihar’s Samastipur district, as the alleged mastermind behind the network.

Investigators have been conducting raids in multiple states in an effort to trace Gupta.

Earlier, the Maharashtra STF also detained and questioned his wife in Patna as part of the financial investigation into the alleged paper leak.

More than 4.28 lakh candidates had registered for the Maharashtra TET examination.

However, after the question paper was allegedly leaked approximately 24 hours before the scheduled examination on June 28, the Maharashtra State Examination Council cancelled the test.

The Maharashtra Police team continues to investigate the case in Bihar, while officials say further action will depend on the evidence collected during the ongoing probe.

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Crime

BJP protests over admission to Rohingyas; Hyderabad college files police complaint

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Hyderabad, July 2: Management of a private junior college in Hyderabad’s Old City area has lodged a police complaint against a BJP leader and his supporters for barging into the college and threatening staff to show records, alleging that children of Rohingya Muslims were studying there.

According to the complaint lodged by the principal of Nooria Cooperative Junior College with Santosh Nagar police station, 30-40 workers led by a BJP leader from Maheshawaram, Andela Sriramulu Yadav, entered the college, threatened the staff, demanding them to show the record of the students.

The incident, which occurred at the college in the Edi Bazar area on Wednesday, created fear among staff and students, said the college principal Mohammed Ghaziuddin.

He sought action against the people involved in the incident. The principal denied allegations that the college has given admission to children of illegal migrants.

Huzaifa, a lecturer at the college, clarified that admissions are given as per the Board of Intermediate norms. He said admissions are given based on valid refugee cards.

Earlier, Sriramulu Yadav alleged that several children of illegal migrants were studying at the college. He said they came to know that one student of a Rohingya was studying at the college, and when they came to check this, they found children of several foreigners studying there.

The BJP leader alleged that All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is supporting the college to give admissions to Rohingyas.

He claimed that the college authorities showed us admission records for students reported to be Rohingya, along with Class 10 bona fide certificates and other identity documents submitted during the admission process.

He demanded that the college be derecognised by the state government for giving admissions to children of illegal migrants.

Sriramulu Yadav wanted to know if AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi was opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to shield the illegal migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh.

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Crime

Gujarat: Surat Cyber Crime Cell returns Rs 2.52 crore to victims, more refunds await court orders

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Surat, July 2: The Surat City Police facilitated the return of Rs 2.52 crore to 61 victims of cyber fraud during the first six months of 2026, while broader recovery efforts have secured court orders for refunds totalling Rs 13.38 crore for 1,824 applicants, highlighting the growing use of legal mechanisms to recover money lost in online financial scams.

The recoveries were made under the ‘Tera Tujhko Arpan’ programme, through which 15 beneficiaries were symbolically presented refund cheques by Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut on Wednesday.

According to Surat City Police, the recoveries relate to cyber fraud complaints registered between January 1 and June 30.

Following complaints lodged through the National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930, the Surat City Cyber Crime Cell, along with all police stations in the city, coordinated with banks across several states to freeze suspect accounts and initiate the refund process.

“The Cyber Crime Cell worked in coordination with courts, Lok Adalats and banks across the country under the guidance of Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut and Additional Police Commissioner (Crime) Karanraj Vaghela, with the process being directly supervised by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber Cell) Bishakha Jain,” officials said.

During the six-month period, Surat City Police obtained court orders through Lok Adalats to facilitate the return of approximately Rs 13.38 crore to 1,824 applicants.

Police also stated that refund applications worth around Rs 7 crore involving 1,690 applicants have been submitted before the Lok Adalat scheduled for July 11.

Once court orders are received, the amounts will be credited to the respective beneficiaries’ bank accounts after completion of the required procedures.

Appealing to the public to report cyber fraud without delay, Surat City Police said victims should immediately call the helpline, as prompt reporting increases the likelihood of freezing fraudulent transactions before funds are withdrawn.

Police also advised citizens not to download unknown applications or APK files received through suspicious links or messages sent in the name of RTO challans, and warned against clicking on suspicious SMS or email links.

They urged the public to remain cautious of social media groups and advertisements promising unusually high returns through online share market investments.

“Victims of sextortion, morphed photographs, nude video calls, digital arrest scams or any other form of cyber crime were asked to report incidents immediately through the helpline or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal,” officials added.

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