SC allows CBI to go ahead with probe in West Bengal teachers recruitment scam; orders no coercive action
May 07, 2024
New Delhi [India], May 7 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to continue with its investigation into the alleged West Bengal teachers recruitment scam.
A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra however asked the CBI not to take any coercive action against teachers or officials.
The apex court also stayed the order of Calcutta High Court, which directed the termination of nearly 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff appointed through a 2016 State-level test in the State.
The bench said it would hear the case next on July 16.
During the hearing, the bench termed the alleged recruitment scam in West Bengal "systemic fraud".
It noted that the State of West Bengal has no data to prove the sanctity of these tests.
It said authorities were duty-bound to maintain the digitised records pertaining to the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff.
The top court was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Calcutta High Court's April 22 decision that invalidated the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in State-run and state-aided schools of West Bengal.
The bench while hearing the case observed, "The public job is so scarce.... Nothing remains if the faith of the public goes. This is systemic fraud. Public jobs are extremely scarce today and are looked at for social mobility. What remains in the system if their appointments are also maligned? People will lose faith, how do you countenance this?"
Earlier, the West Bengal government had challenged the Calcutta High Court order, saying it cancelled the appointments "arbitrarily".
