Amidst escalating tensions surrounding the West Bengal teachers’ recruitment scam, the Supreme Court has intervened by staying the Calcutta High Court’s order cancelling the appointment of approximately 24,000 assistant teachers and non-teaching staff. The decision, delivered by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, came in response to a plea filed by the West Bengal government challenging the high court’s ruling.
The high court’s order, issued on April 22, not only annulled the appointments but also demanded that the affected candidates return the salaries they had received. This ruling stemmed from allegations of a “school jobs for cash scam,” which implicated irregularities in the recruitment process conducted by the West Bengal School Service Commission in 2016.
Despite the high court’s decision, the Supreme Court has allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to continue its probe into the alleged scam. However, the apex court has prohibited the probe agency from taking coercive actions against any official or candidate involved in the case. Instead, the court has imposed a condition for interim protection, stipulating that individuals found to have been illegally appointed must refund the salaries drawn by them if the case is eventually decided against them.
The controversy has sparked protests among the affected teachers, with approximately 1,000 demonstrators gathering outside the West Bengal School Service Commission office to voice their grievances.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has criticised the BJP, CPI(M), and Congress, accusing them of conspiring to snatch the livelihoods of thousands of teachers. She labelled the BJP as a “job-eater” and questioned the ethics of demanding salary returns from the affected individuals.
The Supreme Court has expedited the hearing on the matter, scheduling it for July 16, signalling a crucial legal battle ahead in resolving the contentious issue of the West Bengal teachers’ recruitment scam.
