Calcutta HC upholds single bench orders of CBI probe into ‘unlawful’ appointments in aided faculties

By PTI

KOLKATA: A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday upheld orders of a single bench that directed CBI to inquire into alleged unlawful appointments given by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education on suggestions by the School Service Commission (SSC).

Immediately after the division bench order, a single bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay directed state minister Partha Chatterjee to look earlier than the Central Bureau of Investigation at its workplace right here earlier than 6pm of Wednesday in reference to the SSC appointments rip-off.

The decide mentioned that he expects Chatterjee to step down as minister within the curiosity of justice. Terming “irregularities” in recommending appointments of educating and non-teaching employees by SSC as a “public scam”, the division bench, comprising justices Subrata Talukder and AK Mukherjee, mentioned that the one bench of Justice Gangopadhyay was not fallacious in ordering a probe into the alleged cash path concerned.

The division bench mentioned the orders of the one bench require no intervention.

Holding {that a} five-member committee to supervise the appointment course of for a 2016 panel for recruitment of academics for lessons 9 and 10 and group C and D employees in government-aided faculties was unlawful, the one bench had ordered then state schooling minister to look earlier than the CBI.

Chatterjee was the state schooling minister when the alleged appointments had been made. He is now the trade, commerce and parliamentary affairs minister of the Mamata Banerjee cabinet.

Earlier, the minister was directed by Justice Gangopadhyay to look earlier than the Central Bureau of Investigation at its workplace in Nizam Palace right here on April 12, however he obtained a keep from a division bench on the order.

Seven orders had been handed by the one bench directing CBI to investigate into the alleged irregularities within the appointments of educating and non-teaching employees. Of these, one was in group C, two in group D appointments and 4 in academics’ recruitment for lessons 9 and 10.

All these orders had earlier been stayed by the division bench on a sequence of appeals.

Passing judgment on the appeals, the division bench accepted suggestions of Justice RK Bag committee, instituted by the courtroom earlie calling for prosecution of the then senior officers related to the rip-off.