New Delhi, Aug 20 (NationPress) The Supreme Court has rejected a series of review petitions that contested its April 3 ruling which annulled 25,753 teaching and non-teaching appointments made by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) in 2016.

A Bench led by Justices Sanjay Kumar and Satish Chandra Sharma stated that the review petitions represented an effort to request a “re-hearing of the entire matter on merits” despite all pertinent aspects having been thoroughly examined and evaluated.

The Justice Kumar-led Bench remarked that their previous decision to invalidate the total selection process was reached “after hearing extensive and exhaustive arguments and considering all relevant factual and legal aspects.”

“The failure of the West Bengal Central School Service Commission to maintain the original physical OMR sheets or at least their mirror copies was a crucial factor influencing both the High Court and this Court,” it elaborated.

Furthermore, the apex court asserted that “the concealment of lapses and illegalities” by the authorities obstructed verification, leading to the unavoidable conclusion that the entire selection process was compromised.

While recognizing the consequences for innocent candidates, the Justice Kumar-led Bench reaffirmed its position that “invalidating such legitimate appointments would cause distress and anguish, which the Court fully acknowledged; however, safeguarding the integrity of the selection process is of utmost importance and must be prioritized.”

“Finally, the critical remarks directed at the authorities responsible for this entire debacle, which adversely impacted the lives of thousands of candidates, were entirely warranted and justifiable,” it added.

In dismissing the review petitions, the Supreme Court turned down the request for an open court hearing, stating: “The applications for listing the review petitions in open Court are, accordingly, rejected. The review petitions are dismissed.”

In the April 3 ruling, a bench consisting of then Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Kumar noted that the entire selection process was irreparably tainted, declaring that “no candidate can be appointed once the entire examination process and results have been nullified.”

In an April 17 order, the Supreme Court permitted “untainted” assistant teachers, whose names were not associated with any irregularity, to remain in service until fresh recruitment is finalized. It instructed the WBSSC to publish new advertisements by May 31 and to complete the recruitment process by December 31 this year, warning that any delay in the new selection process would result in the vacating of its order concerning Class 9-12 assistant teachers.