A single bench order that directed the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) to enquire into alleged irregularities in the appointments of Group D workers in West Bengal's government-aided and sponsored schools was stayed by a division bench of Calcutta High Court. This happened on Tuesday, February 15.
It was only earlier in the day that the single bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay had directed CBI to take the lead on the enquiry into allegations levied on the employment process of such schools under the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE). The CBI was to do so by Wednesday, February 16, morning and by March 15, submit a progress report, as per a report in PTI.
Soon after this, the order was challenged by the Government of West Bengal before the division bench of the high court.
The order of the single bench was stayed by the division bench which included justices Harish Tandon and Rabindranath Samanta. They said that next Monday, February 21, the matter will be taken up for further hearing and even stated that until further orders, the single bench will not take up the matter.
Last year on December 6, the division bench had set aside a similar order of the single bench which directed a CBI enquiry into the alleged irregularities in the appointments of Group D workers in government-aided and sponsored schools under the WBBSE. A three-member special probe team was also constituted which is being overseen by Justice (retired) R K Bag. The team has been directed by the division bench to submit its report within two months. On Monday, February 14, a two-month extension to continue the probe was granted to the team by the division bench.
It was on November 22 last year that Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay ordered the CBI to look into alleged irregularities in the appointment of Group D staffers in government-aided and sponsored schools under WBBSE and conduct an inquiry. This was on purported recommendations by the state's School Service Commission and to find out if a money trail is involved.
It was on a petition by job aspirants claiming that appointments were given after the expiry of the panel proposed for the posts of Group D staff in aided/sponsored secondary and higher secondary schools in West Bengal that the order was passed by Justice Gangopadhyay. A list of such alleged appointees had been produced before the court by the petitioners.
