The Supreme Court, on April 29, intervened in a contentious order issued by the Calcutta High Court regarding investigations into alleged irregularities in teacher appointments in West Bengal.
The apex court stayed a portion of the Calcutta HC order, which directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to pursue further investigations and potentially take custody of individuals linked to supernumerary positions created by the West Bengal government to accommodate purportedly illegal appointments.
This stay came after vigorous arguments from legal representatives of the West Bengal government, who contended that the directive posed a serious threat to the entire state cabinet, especially amidst the ongoing electoral processes. However, the Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, leading the bench, declined to halt another aspect of the Calcutta HC order, which mandated the termination of nearly 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff allegedly implicated in the so-called teacher recruitment scandal of 2016.
Numerous legal experts voiced concerns over the scope of the Calcutta HC's decision, asserting that the termination of such a significant number of individuals surpassed the case's original parameters. They highlighted that while the CBI had implicated around 8,000 individuals, the blanket termination affected a far larger pool of employees.
CJI Chandrachud weighted on the termination order, acknowledging its potentially far-reaching consequences. The apex court has scheduled a comprehensive hearing for May 6 to delve deeper into the matter.
The controversy stems from the Calcutta HC's April 22 ruling, which not only annulled the disputed appointments but also invalidated the entire 2016 school service commission recruitment panel. Consequently, all appointments from grades 9 to 12, as well as groups C and D, where irregularities were detected, were declared null and void.
Moreover, a two-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court, while instructing the board to initiate fresh recruitment processes, directed individuals found to have secured positions unlawfully to reimburse their salaries within four weeks.
The investigation into the alleged scam is being pursued by both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate. Notably, the CBI has named 12 individuals, including the former chairman of the West Bengal School Service Commission, Subiresh Bhattacharya, in connection with the case. The scandal came to light following the arrest of Partha Chatterjee, a prominent Trinamool Congress leader who previously held the position of Minister of Education in the state government before his detention.