SC stays Calcutta HC order directing CBI to probe West Bengal government officials' role in teacher recruitment scam

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra said it will hear the matter on May 6

PTI, New Delhi, 29.04.24 : The Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Calcutta High Court order directing the CBI to probe into the role of West Bengal government officials in a teacher recruitment scam.

The top court was hearing a plea by the West Bengal government against a high court order 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.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra said it will hear the matter on May 6.

"We will stay the direction which says the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) will undertake further investigation against officials in the state government," the bench said.

Calcutta High Court had said the CBI would undertake further investigations with regard to the persons involved in the state government approving the creation of supernumerary post to accommodate illegal appointments.

If necessary, the CBI will undertake custodial interrogation of such persons involved, it had said.

Challenging the order, the state government, in its appeal filed before the top court, said the high court cancelled the appointments "arbitrarily".

"The high court failed to appreciate the ramification of cancelling the entire selection process, leading to straightaway termination of teaching and non-teaching staff from service with immediate effect, without giving sufficient time to the petitioner state to deal with such an exigency, rendering the education system at a standstill," the plea said.

Calcutta High Court last week declared the selection process as "null and void" and directed the CBI to probe the appointment process. It also asked the Central agency to submit a report within three months.

"All appointments granted in the selection processes involved being violative of articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India, are declared null and void and cancelled," the High Court said in its April 22 order.