Connect with us
Tuesday,30-June-2026
Breaking News

Crime

School job case: Crucial hearing in SC today on CBI probe against Bengal cabinet

Published

on

Kolkata, April 8: The Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday whether the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should probe the West Bengal cabinet, which approved the creation of supernumerary posts in state-run schools allegedly to accommodate “tainted” candidates getting teaching and non-teaching jobs against payment of money.

The opposition BJP had said in case the Supreme Court lifts the earlier interim stay on the CBI probe in the matter, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would also come under the purview of the probe since as the head of the cabinet she would not be able to avoid responsibility of the decision for creation of supernumerary posts.

The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Monday, said that after Om Prakash Chautala of Haryana, Mamata Banerjee will be the second chief minister of an Indian state to be behind bars in an education scam.

In April 2024, a three-judge Bench of the apex court headed by the erstwhile Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, stayed an earlier order by the Calcutta High Court directing the CBI to undertake further investigations into the approval for supernumerary posts.

In that order, the Calcutta High Court also observed that the CBI, if necessary, will undertake the custodial interrogation of people involved in the matter.

While the stay by the apex court in April 2024 came as an interim relief for the state Cabinet, the matter will again come up for hearing at the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

In fact, the Calcutta High Court, while ordering the CBI probe into the matter earlier, also questioned the sanctity of the decision approving the creation of supernumerary posts.

Ever since information on the matter surfaced, the state government and the ruling party have come under scathing attacks from Opposition parties who claimed that the decision in the matter was not to accommodate genuine candidates but to protect the jobs of tainted ones.

Political observers feel that hearing in the matter (of the creation of supernumerary posts) has come at a double headache for the state government and the ruling Trinamool Congress which are already strained by an apex court order last week. The Supreme Court upheld an earlier order of a division bench of the Calcutta High Court cancelling 25,753 teaching and non-teaching jobs in state-run schools.

Both the Supreme Court and Calcutta High Court had observed that the cancellation of the entire panel of 25,753 appointments was because of the failure of the state government and West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) to segregate the “genuine” candidates from “tainted” ones .

Crime

Maharashtra TET paper leak: Mastermind’s wife arrested in Patna; search intensifies for Bijendra Gupta

Published

on

Patna, June 30: The investigation into the alleged Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak has gathered pace with the arrest of Suman Kumari, the wife of the alleged mastermind, Bijendra Gupta, from Patna.

Police are questioning her over her suspected role in the examination paper leak and related financial transactions.

According to information shared by the Maharashtra Police and Patna Police sources, Suman Kumari was arrested in Patna and is currently being interrogated.

Investigators suspect that Suman Kumari played a role in handling financial transactions linked to the alleged paper leak operation.

Police also believe she remained in contact with her husband, Bijendra Gupta, and other members of the alleged network after the TET question paper was leaked.

Her interrogation is expected to help investigators trace the flow of money and identify other individuals connected to the case.

Before Suman Kumari’s arrest, Maharashtra Police had taken three other accused, Rajiv Shah and Akash Kumar from Patna, and Dheeraj Kumar from Panipat, Haryana, into custody.

According to investigators, interrogation of these three accused pointed to Bijendra Gupta as the alleged mastermind behind the operation.

Police teams are conducting raids in Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, and Agra to apprehend Bijendra Gupta, who is originally from Sherpur village under the Vidyapati police station area of Samastipur district in Bihar.

Investigators believe he played a central role in organising the alleged paper leak network.

Bijendra Gupta’s father, Baleshwar Gupta, said the family had lost contact with him years ago after he left the village for further studies in Begusarai.

According to his father, the family was unaware of the nature of Bijendra’s work and was deeply distressed after learning that his name had surfaced in connection with the alleged paper leak case.

Police records indicate that Bijendra Gupta has previously been linked to criminal cases.

According to investigators, he was the prime accused in a murder case registered in 2003 and has also been associated with investigations into alleged paper leak cases involving examinations such as NEET-UG and the Odisha Staff Selection Commission examination.

These allegations form part of the ongoing police investigation, and the case remains under inquiry.

Maharashtra Police teams remain in Bihar as part of the operation to arrest the alleged mastermind.

Investigators are examining financial records, communication details, and the roles of other suspected members of the network.

Police have indicated that further arrests are possible as the investigation progresses and additional evidence is collected regarding the alleged examination malpractice.

Continue Reading

Crime

Delhi woman alleges sexual harassment in moving car; records incident, FIR registered

Published

on

New Delhi, June 30: A 24-year-old woman has accused a man of sexually harassing her inside a moving car in East Delhi’s Mandawali area.

According to her complaint, the accused (known to the victim) allegedly lured her out on the pretext of eating momos and later insisted on stopping for CNG before diverting the vehicle to a deserted stretch.

The woman alleges that the man began making obscene remarks and pressured her into having sex. He touched her inappropriately and wouldn’t let her get out of the car. She recorded the entire incident on her mobile phone and reported the matter to the police. Based on the complaint, Mandawali police registered an FIR against the accused under relevant sections of the BNS. The accused has been caught. Further investigation is underway.

In a disturbing video, the woman could be heard pleading with the man to let her go. The man, as seen in the video, makes unwanted sexual remarks, pushing the woman to a breaking point, NDTV reported.

She recorded the incident on her mobile phone during the alleged assault.

“If you even touch me, I’ll jump in front of a vehicle and end my life,” the woman is heard saying in the shaky video that is replete with cuss words and sexually suggestive remarks.

A month ago, a similar incident came to light in Pune. A female lawyer was sexually assaulted in a moving car. Police arrested three suspects in this case. Now, a similar incident has surfaced in the national capital, Delhi.

The man who sexually assaulted the woman is known to her. According to the complaint, he lured her out on the pretext of offering her momos and then attempted to exploit her in a secluded area. However, the woman recorded the entire incident on her mobile phone.

Earlier on June 29, the Delhi High Court cancelled the bail granted to a 57-year-old private school caretaker accused of raping a three-year-old girl on the premises in west Delhi’s Janakpuri area, and asked him to surrender on July 1.

Continue Reading

Crime

Brutality at Mumbai shelter home: Caretaker booked for assaulting minors after they woke up late

Published

on

Mumbai, June 30: The police have registered a case against Rajesh Kumar, a 21-year-old caretaker at Swagat Ashram in Kandivali West in Mumbai, Maharashtra, for allegedly physically assaulting two minors. The accused allegedly grabbed an 11-year-old boy by the throat and repeatedly slapped him after the child and his brother woke up late.

The incident came to light after the two children fled the shelter home and were later rescued by the Dadar Railway Police. Police have launched an investigation into the matter.

According to the victim’s statement, the children had been staying at the ashram after their father passed away in September 2025. Their mother had admitted them to the institution in the hope of providing them with a better future and access to education.

The victim told police that at around 4 a.m. on June 8, he and his cousin were assigned the task of filling water at the ashram. After completing the work at around 5 a.m., they went back to sleep, intending to wake up again at 6 a.m. for kitchen duties. However, due to exhaustion, they failed to wake up on time.

Enraged by the delay, the caretaker allegedly threw a bottle at one of the boys. He then repeatedly punched the 11-year-old on his back. When the child turned around, the accused allegedly grabbed him by the throat and slapped him across the face several times.

According to the complaint, the victim told police that the children had been subjected to regular abuse and beatings at the shelter home. Fearing further violence, the 11-year-old and his 14-year-old friend decided to flee the premises.

After leaving the ashram, the victim borrowed Rs 100 from a vegetable vendor by mentioning the caretaker’s name. The two boys then travelled by auto-rickshaw to Kandivali railway station and boarded a local train to Dadar. They were reportedly planning to travel onward to Ahilyanagar to reach the victim’s mother.

An alert citizen noticed the boys wandering on Platform No. 13 at Dadar railway station and informed the Dadar Railway Police. The officers took the children into custody, counselled them, and uncovered the alleged abuse at the shelter home.

The police subsequently contacted the boys’ mother and informed the authorities at Swagat Ashram. After undergoing medical examinations, both children were shifted to a safe children’s home.

Following directions from the Child Welfare Committee, Mumbai City, the police registered a case against Rajesh Kumar. Further investigation into the alleged assault and the functioning of the shelter home is underway.

Continue Reading

Trending