The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation to look into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of primary school teachers in West Bengal, The Indian Express reported.

The central agency is investigating allegations that teachers were recruited illegally by the West Bengal School Service Commission in 2018. Trinamool Congress leader Partha Chatterjee was questioned in the case.

A single-judge bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay was hearing petitioners who did not get teaching jobs despite being qualified for them. They have submitted two lists with names of persons who were allegedly illegally recruited by the West Bengal government.

On Wednesday, the court asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to submit a status report on June 15.

It also asked Upendranath Biswas, 81, the former additional director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, to cooperate in the case, the Hindustan Times reported.

Biswas, who was a minister in the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in 2011, alleged last year that a person called Ranjan had hired teachers by taking a huge amount of money.

Biswas said he will follow the court’s orders.

“I have the highest respect for the judiciary,” he said. “I will do my best to take the investigation forward.”

Senior lawyer Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya, who is representing petitioners, told the High Court that Ranjan’s real name is Chandan Mondol, reported the Hindustan Times.

The court also directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to question Mondol after taking him into custody, reported The Indian Express.

Meanwhile, the counsel representing the West Bengal Board of Primary Education told the court that there have been no irregularities in teachers’ appointments and that an affidavit will be submitted to prove this, reported PTI.

The court has scheduled the next hearing for June 15.