On Monday, the Calcutta High Court invalidated all appointments made in the selection of candidates for West Bengal government-sponsored and aided secondary and higher secondary schools via the 2016 recruitment process. The court mandated the School Service Commission (SSC) to carry out new recruitments.
The court additionally mandated that individuals who were unlawfully recruited must reimburse their salaries within six weeks. All appointments made by the SSC for teachers of classes 9, 10, 11, and 12, as well as group-C and D staff positions through the State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST), which exhibited irregularities, are also nullified. The Calcutta High Court has directed the administration to expedite actions regarding new appointments within the upcoming 15 days.
Furthermore, the court ruled that individuals who were illegitimately hired must refund their salaries within six weeks. All appointments by the SSC for teachers of classes 9, 10, 11, and 12, as well as group-C and D staff positions through the State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST), where irregularities were detected, are invalidated. The Calcutta High Court has instructed the administration to accelerate the process of new appointments within the next 15 days.
In the course of proceedings, the state of West Bengal established a super-numerical post. In an attempt to accommodate the unlawfully appointed individuals, the state made efforts, though these actions were strictly illegal,” he elaborated. “The Division Bench has instructed for an investigation to determine the originator of the super-numerical post. If necessary, the implicated individual will be apprehended by the CBI.”
The court delivered its verdict following hearings of petitions and appeals concerning purported irregularities in the candidate selection process of the 2016 recruitment drive. A division bench, constituted by the Chief Justice of the High Court under the guidance of the Supreme Court, presided over the proceedings. The hearing concluded on March 20, and the division bench reserved judgment.
The scandal surrounding the teacher recruitment conducted by the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) came into prominence following the apprehension of Partha Chatterjee, a prominent figure of the Bengal BJP and a former Trinamool Congress leader who held the position of education minister in Mamata Banerjee’s administration until his arrest on July 23, 2022.
Earlier, on February 16, the Enforcement Directorate conducted raids on individuals closely associated with Partha Chatterjee in Kolkata. Chatterjee’s arrest ensued subsequent to the discovery of Rs 21 crore in cash and jewelry valued at over Rs 1 crore at the Kolkata residence of Arpita Mukherjee, a trusted confidante of the ex-education minister.
Chatterjee and his associate, Arpita Mukherjee, are under investigation regarding the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scandal.