Calcutta High Court Judge Steps Down from Primary Teacher Recruitment Case in West Bengal
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Synopsis
A judge of the Calcutta High Court has recused himself from a case involving the recruitment irregularities of 32,000 primary teachers in West Bengal. The case will be reassigned to a new division bench, affecting the future of these teachers.
Key Takeaways
- Calcutta High Court judge recuses from teacher recruitment case.
- Approximately 32,000 primary teachers affected.
- The case will be referred to Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam.
- Previous ruling by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay canceled jobs.
- Supreme Court upheld cancellation of 25,753 appointments.
Kolkata, April 7 (NationPress) A member of the division bench at the Calcutta High Court recused himself from overseeing the case concerning irregularities in the recruitment of primary teachers in state-run educational institutions in West Bengal on Monday.
The future of approximately 32,000 primary teachers, appointed by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education and currently serving in various state-run schools, hangs in the balance.
The case was slated for a hearing on Monday afternoon before a division bench comprising Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das. However, proceedings were halted as Justice Sen stepped back for personal reasons.
The case has now been directed back to Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam of the Calcutta High Court, who will assign it to a different division bench.
It is worth noting that in May 2023, a previous single-judge bench led by former Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who currently serves as a BJP Lok Sabha member, ordered the termination of the jobs of the 32,000 primary teachers.
Justice Gangopadhyay issued this ruling following petitions from candidates who felt deprived, stating that many were appointed despite lower rankings in recruitment examinations compared to those who were overlooked.
The state government contested this ruling at the division bench, leading to it being presented before Justice Sen. However, with Justice Sen stepping down, the focus now shifts to which new division bench will take over the case.
Petition counsel Tarunjyoti Tiwari expressed optimism that the case would be assigned to a new division bench that would conduct prompt and consistent hearings.
Recently, a division bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, upheld a prior order from the Calcutta High Court’s division bench of Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi, mandating the cancellation of 25,753 appointments made by the West Bengal School Service Commission.
These positions were for secondary and higher secondary teachers, as well as non-teaching staff in Group-C and Group-D classifications.
The apex court’s division bench also concurred with previous observations by the Calcutta High Court’s division bench, stating that the entire panel needed cancellation due to the state government and commission's inability to differentiate between “genuine” candidates and “tainted” ones.
