The Calcutta high court’s circuit bench at Jalpaiguri in north Bengal has ordered a CBI probe into an alleged illegal transfer of a government school teacher.
The Siliguri-based teacher was transferred at least three times in one year, allegedly in violation of the rules.
On Thursday, a single judge bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay said: “I direct CBI to investigate the matter along with other matters relating to the School Service Commission and the Education department. For this the CBI may file a separate FIR, if necessary.”
The order comes at a time when the federal agency is already probing the alleged irregularities in recruitment of teachers and non-teaching staff in government schools.
The Enforcement Directorate, which has also started an investigation, has arrested former education minister Partha Chatterjee and his close associate Arpita Mukherjee. The agency found nearly ₹50 crore in cash and gold worth another ₹5 crore from houses owned by the former minister’s aide.
Shanta Mandal, an assistant teacher at Sri Guru Vidyamandir in Siliguri was appointed as the headmistress of Birpara Girls’ High School in Alipurduar district in 2021. Within 10 months, however, Mandal was transferred to Amiya Paul Chowdhury School in Siliguri. She did not join her duty there and within a few days she was again transferred to Sri Guru Vidyamandir, where she was an assistant teacher before her appointment as the headmistress of Birpara Girls’ High School.
Hearing a petition, the court on Thursday said: “As it has been alleged by the petitioner that the lady has been illegally transferred thrice in a year, which is wholly against the law, I direct CBI to investigate the matter along with other matters…”
The order also says that she cannot work in Sri Guru Vidyamandir High School (HS) at Champasari in Siliguri. She has also been asked to go to Birpara Girls’ High School and if she fails, there shall be a break in service.
Akramul Bari, lawyer of Prasun Sundar Tarafdar, an assistant teacher at Sri Guru Vidyamandir, who had moved Calcutta High Court against the transfer of Mandal said: “Once a teacher is transferred to a school, he or she cannot be transferred again before five years. But, here, all the norms were flouted and she was transferred three times in one year. The School Service Commission, in an affidavit, has washed its hands off the case claiming they were not aware of it. Following this, the bench has ordered a CBI probe into the case.”
The bench further ordered Mandal to join her duty as headmistress at Birpara Girls’ High School by 10:30 am on Friday.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/calcutta-hc-orders-cbi-probe-into-illegal-transfer-of-teacher-in-north-bengal-101659685338010.html
