Calcutta HC sets aside single-judge order for CBI investigation – The Indian Express

On Tuesday, the WBBSE and WBSSC had jointly moved the division bench comprising Justices Harish Tandon and Rabindranath Samanta against the single-bench order which on Monday directed the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the alleged irregularities and submit a report by December 21.

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay passed the order while hearing a petition filed by some job aspirants claiming that the said appointments were made after the expiry of the panel set up to recruit for Group D posts in state-run schools.

While issuing an interim stay on the CBI probe for three weeks, the division bench on Wednesday asked the WBBSE and the WBSSC to submit all documents in a sealed cover to the registrar general of the Calcutta High Court. The division bench was of the opinion that the matter requires further deliberation and listed the matter for further hearing on November 29.

In 2016, the state government had recommended the appointment of about 13,000 non-teaching staff in various state-run and government aided schools. Accordingly, the WBSSC had conducted examinations and interviews periodically and later a panel had been constituted. The term of the panel had ended in May, 2019.

The petitioners had produced before the court a list of 25 such appointees who they claimed were illegally recruited. They later claimed that more than 500 additional such appointments were made.

The WBBSE, in its affidavit before the court, had claimed that all the appointments were made on the basis of recommendations by the WBSSC.

But the commission submitted an affidavit stating that after May 4, 2019, no recommendation letter was issued by it as the term of the panel set up for recruitment of Group D had expired.