Today, on April 17, the Supreme Court stayed the Calcutta High Court's order, directing the West Bengal police not to lodge an FIR against Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers, probing the school teachers' recruitment scam. The stay order was given by a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala.
The HC's direction that TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee and Kuntal Ghosh, both accused in the case, be questioned by the ED and the CBI, was also stayed. The order urged that "such interrogation should be made soon". The next hearing in the apex court against the HC order is on April 24, as per a report by PTI.
"The petition was in the mentioning list. Dr AM Singhvi (appearing on behalf of the TMC leaders) has adverted to the contents of the order and the directions passed by which the ED and CBI have been directed to file a report with respect to a probe in connection with a public speech by Abhishek Banerjee. List on April 24, 2023. Till the next date of listing, there shall be a stay on all action against petitioner in relation to the directions passed in the impugned order," the SC bench stated.
Here's what happened
On April 13, the Calcutta High Court passed a slew of directions, asking the police not to lodge FIRs on complaints against CBI and ED officers involved in investigating, without permission, the recruitment scam of the West Bengal Central School Service Commission (WBSSC) and the West Bengal Board of Primary Education.
The court had earlier asked the central agencies to probe the role of state TMC leaders in the case. All the same, Senior Advocate Singhvi sought an urgent hearing on the plea challenging the high court order in the case, as per PTI.
