Today, Monday, April 29, the Supreme Court issued a stay on a Calcutta High Court order that had directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the alleged involvement of West Bengal government officials in a recruitment scam related to teachers, reports PTI.
The apex court was hearing a plea by the West Bengal government against a high court order invalidating the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff made by the School Service Commission (SSC) in state-run and state-aided schools, states the report.
The court bench consisting of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra has scheduled a hearing for the matter on May 6.
"We will stay the direction which says the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) will undertake further investigation against officials in the state government," the bench said.
According to PTI, Calcutta High Court had said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will conduct additional investigations into individuals involved in the state government approving the creation of supernumerary posts to accommodate illegal appointments.
The CBI had stated that if needed, they would carry out custodial interrogation of individuals involved in the matter.
Challenging the order, the state government, in its appeal filed before the top court, said that the high court cancelled the appointments "arbitrarily", states the PTI report.
"The high court failed to appreciate the ramification of cancelling the entire selection process, leading to straightaway termination of teaching and non-teaching staff from service with immediate effect, without giving sufficient time to the petitioner state to deal with such an exigency, rendering the education system at a standstill," the plea said.
