The Supreme Court intervened in the matter of nearly 24,000 assistant teachers and non-teaching staff appointments in West Bengal on Tuesday, suspending the Calcutta High Court’s decision. Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, issued the ruling in response to a petition filed by the West Bengal government. This plea contested the high court’s ruling from April 22, which annulled the appointments made by the West Bengal School Service Commission in 2016.
Furthermore, the high court instructed the 24,000 individuals to repay the salaries they had received, attributing the case to the “school jobs for cash scam,” as reported by Bar and Bench. The Supreme Court not only stayed the high court’s directive but also permitted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to continue probing the West Bengal teacher recruitment scam.
However, the court clarified that it wouldn’t take coercive measures against any West Bengal government official or candidate. Instead, it outlined a condition for interim protection, as per Bar and Bench. The court emphasized that this protection would endure on the condition that any individual unlawfully appointed and retained due to the Supreme Court’s present order must commit to refunding their received salary if the case ultimately rules against them.
Moreover, the bench urged an expedited hearing in the case, scheduling it for July 16.
However, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee thanked the Supreme Court Of India and said, “I am really very happy and mentally relaxed on receipt of justice at the highest Court of the land. Congratulations to the entire teaching fraternity and my humble regards to the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India….”
🙏
I am really very happy and mentally relaxed on receipt of justice at the highest Court of the land. Congratulations to the entire teaching fraternity and my humble regards to the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.🙏
সুপ্রিম কোর্টে ন্যায় প্রাপ্তির পর আমি বাস্তবিকই খুব খুশী এবং…— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 7, 2024
The West Bengal School Job Scam Case:
The scandalous saga of the “school jobs for cash scam” unfolds a distressing tale of illicit activities purportedly entrenched within the recruitment proceedings of primary and secondary schools across West Bengal in 2016.
Reports unveil a staggering figure of over 23 lakh candidates vying for a mere 24,000 job openings during the recruitment drive of 2016. Allegations surfaced suggesting that a significant portion of these appointments were orchestrated through nefarious means, primarily by manipulating the evaluation process of Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets.
The Calcutta High Court, presided over by the esteemed justices Debangsu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi, was confronted with a perplexing predicament. With ambiguity shrouding the authenticity of the evaluation process for the multitude of answer sheets, the court took decisive action. It mandated the comprehensive reassessment of all examination papers involved in the recruitment process, thereby nullifying the contested appointments.
