SC stays CBI probe into WB officials’ role

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 29

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Calcutta High Court’s directions to the CBI to probe the role of West Bengal government officials in the teachers’ recruitment scam.

“We will stay the direction which says the CBI will undertake further investigation against officials in the state government,” a Bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said.

The Bench, however, refused to stay the HC’s order cancelling the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff, saying it will hear the matter on May 6.

The order came on the West Bengal government’s petition challenging the April 22 order of the HC invalidating the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff made by the School Service Commission (SSC) in state-run and state-aided schools.

Declaring the entire selection process as “null and void”, the HC had directed the CBI to probe the appointment process and submit a report to it in three months. “All appointments granted in the selection processes involved being violative of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution, are declared null and void and cancelled,” the HC had said.

The HC had said the CBI would undertake further investigation with regard to the persons in the state government involved in approving the creation of supernumerary posts to accommodate illegal appointments. If necessary, the CBI would also undertake custodial interrogation of such persons involved, it had said.

However, noting that taking away the jobs of about 25,000 persons was a serious matter, the Bench asked if it’s possible to segregate the valid and invalid appointments on the basis of the material available and who the beneficiaries of the fraud were.

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#Central Bureau of Investigation CBI #Supreme Court #West Bengal