New Delhi: Dismissing the employment of West Bengal Minister of State for Education Paresh Chandra Adhikari’s daughter Ankita in a government-aided school, the Calcutta High Court on Friday asked her to return the salary that she had drawn during her 41-month tenure as a teacher, PTI reported. The single bench of Justice Avijit Gangopadhyay directed Adhikari’s daughter to deposit the salary paid to her since November 2018 in two instalments with the registrar general of the High Court.
The High Court ordered that Ankita should not be treated as a teacher recommended by the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) and appointed by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education.
The High Court also barred the minister’s daughter from entering the school premises till further orders.
The minister’s daughter has to pay the first instalment by June 7 and the second by July 7 this year as per the order of the High Court, which was hearing a petition filed by a candidate who claimed that she was deprived of the position despite having secured higher marks than Ankita in the recruitment examination.
The petitioner had claimed that Ankita had secured only 61 marks and she had 77 marks.
The High Court had ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the appointment.
The court ordered that Ankita’ post will remain vacant and shall be earmarked for the petitioner.
Earlier in the day, the minister reached the CBI office in Kolkata for interrogation over his daughter’s alleged illegal appointment.
Earlier on Thursday, the CBI had filed an FIR against Adhikari after he failed to meet the High Court deadline for appearance before its sleuths in connection with the case.
The minister, along with his daughter, was booked under Sections 420 (cheating and dishonesty) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) besides Sections under the Prevention of Corruption Act.