The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths probing the multi-crore teachers' scam in West Bengal conducted search operations at the residence, office and ashram of former block president of Nalhati in Birbhum district, Bivas Adhikari, on Saturday.

Adhikari is known to be an extremely close confidant of Trinamool Congress legislator and the former president of West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE) Manik Bhattacharya, who is currently in judicial custody in connection with the recruitment scam.

The search operations at the premises of Adhikari started on Saturday morning when another team of CBI was continuing similar operations at the residence of Manik Bhattacharya - Trinamool Congress legislator from Burwan in Murshidabad district - that started at 1.30 p.m. on Friday.

Sources said that Adhikari came under the scanner of CBI after the arrest of Manik Bhattacharya last year. In February this year, expelled and arrested youth Trinamool Congress leader Kuntal Ghosh also mentioned Adhikari's name as being involved in the scam.

It is learnt that besides conducting raids at the residence, office and ashram of Adhikari at Nalhati, another team of CBI started a parallel raid at his residential flat at Amherst Street in North Kolkata. Both the CBI teams are being escorted by armed forces personnel. Sources said that this flat was mainly used as a guest house. [IANS/JS]