Today, July 16, the Supreme Court granted a last opportunity to file responses to pleas challenging a Calcutta High Court order invalidating the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in government and aided schools in West Bengal. The pleas challenging the high court order also include the one filed by the West Bengal government.

The top court, which has been hearing 33 petitions about the high court's April 22 judgment on the matter, has fixed them for a final hearing after three weeks, PTI reported.

At the outset, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra were informed that the response affidavits had not been filed by many parties. The West Bengal government has also not filed its reply in cases where it is made a respondent.

CJI speaks

Speaking on this, the CJI said, "Alright, we will give them one opportunity. No counter (affidavit) filed till date. In the event that any of the respondents seek to file they shall file on or before two weeks, if no counter (affidavit) is filed then the right to file counter stands closed."

Further, the bench also issued a slew of procedural directions and appointed four lawyers as nodal counsel while asking them to file a common compilation in electronic form after getting details from the lawyers of various parties. It appointed lawyers Astha Sharma, who represents the state government, Shalini Kaul, Partha Chatterjee and Shekhar Kumar as nodal counsel, PTI reported.

"If we don't do this exercise it will be impossible to write down the judgement," the CJI said. During the hearing, a lawyer sought a direction from the bench that the CBI be asked to place a status report on the probe conducted so far.

On May 7, the apex court granted a major relief to teachers and non-teaching staff of West Bengal whose services were invalidated by the high court on the grounds of irregularities in the appointment process. However, it had permitted the CBI to continue with its probe and said it may even investigate members of the state cabinet if needed.

While granting the relief on the pleas, the bench had asked the CBI not to take any precipitative action like any arrest of any suspect during its investigation.