Big Relief For Bengal Govt, Supreme Court Stays CBI Probe Into Teachers’ Recruitment Scam

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a stay order on any further probe into the illegal appointments within the Staff Selection Commission (SSC). However, the order regarding the termination of 25,000 teachers recruited illegally, has not been stayed. This decision, made under the directive of the Chief Justice of India (CJI), comes amid ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the controversial appointments.

The highest court in the country has directed that no coercive action be taken until Monday, indicating a temporary halt to the investigative process pending further judicial review. This comes after the Calcutta High Court on Monday ordered a CBI investigation into the alleged Group-C and Group-D (nonteaching staffs) appointment scam in the state-run secondary and higher secondary schools.

The West Bengal Central School Service Commission (WBCSSC) and West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) were scheduled to file an affidavit in the case before a division bench of Chief Justice on Monday. The CBI probe order was given after the affidavit was submitted before the division bench.

During the hearing, the chief justice said that the culprits must be identified and action must be taken against them. The court then ordered a CBI probe into the matter and directed to form an inquiry committee with a DIG rank officer to look into the fake appointments of at least 25 Group-D staffs.

“There is an invisible hand behind the fake appointments of at least 25 Group D staff. People behind this invisible hand need to be exposed,” the court said. The probe agency has been asked to submit a preliminary report by December 21. In 2016, the state had recommended appointment of some 13,000 group D staff in state run schools. Based on the recommendation, state WBCSSC conducted exams and based on interviews, the commission has finalised a panel of prospective employees.

The validity of the panel was expired on May 4, 2019 and it is being alleged that that the Commission has illegally recommended appointments from the panel even after its expiry. Later, a section of candidates who failed to secure appointments despite remaining enlisted in the panel moved court alleging that the Commission had illegally recommended appointments from the panel even after its expiry.

The petitioners presented 25 such “illegal appointments” and drew the court’s attention to a “deep-rooted corruption mechanism” sitting firm within the system. During the course of back-to-back hearings, the Court had lashed out at the commission and warned it of a CBI probe into the corruption charges, if required. Then, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay had also observed that he is thinking of deploying central forces in the Commission’s office to prevent recruitment documents from getting tampered with.

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