[BREAKING] Bengal SSC Verdict | Ex-HC Judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay Demands Mamata Banerjee’s Resignation

Terming the Calcutta High Court order Today (April 22nd), to cancel all appointments made through the recruitment process of the SLST in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools as an “appropriate judgment”, ex-judge of the HC Abhijit Gangopadhyay demanded “immediate resignation” of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

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WEST BENGAL: The Calcutta High Court today issued a landmark order to annul all appointments made through the 2016 State Level Selection Test (SLST) for positions in government-sponsored and aided schools within the state.

This directive was hailed as an “appropriate judgment” by former Calcutta High Court judge, Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who went on to call for the “immediate resignation” of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in light of the ruling.

Gangopadhyay, recognized for his initial order directing a CBI probe into the alleged recruitment irregularities, described the implicated state administration officials as a “group of fraudsters” who, in his view, deserved the severest punishment for their actions. His comments came after a division bench, consisting of justices Debangsu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi, not only upheld the decision to cancel the appointments but also ordered the CBI to extend its investigation into the matter and report back within three months.

The former judge, who resigned from his judicial position on March 5 to enter the political arena as a BJP candidate for the Lok Sabha polls from Tamluk in Purba Medinipur district, did not mince words when addressing the media.

He accused top state officials, including the Chief Minister, of protecting the culprits and perpetuating the distress of qualified candidates who were unjustly denied positions. Gangopadhyay’s condemnation extended to urging a societal boycott against Banerjee, highlighting that the scam affected candidates across communal lines.

 “The real culprits are sitting in top positions of state administration and hiding behind their security bubble. If they have the courage and any shame left in them, they should quit their positions of power, shred their protective cover and face investigations.”

This ruling stems from a series of legal proceedings initiated by Gangopadhyay’s bench, which previously led to the termination of several teaching and non-teaching staff appointments after discovering procedural irregularities. The comprehensive hearing by the division bench, instigated by a Supreme Court directive, scrutinized numerous petitions and appeals related to the SLST-2016 selection process.

“The Chief Minister deprived the qualified candidates for years and left them under unspeakable distress, I would have dragged her down from her chair myself if I had that kind of power.”

Despite the vindication of his earlier findings, Gangopadhyay refrained from viewing the judgment as a personal triumph. Instead, he expressed sorrow over the fact that such a scam occurred and lamented the continued governance by what he described as a “corrupt and lying dispensation.”

“I feel sad today that the High Court vindicated my findings for a scam of such proportions. I feel distressed that we have to tolerate the governance of a corrupt and lying dispensation even after such developments,”

–he said.

“I am happy that the division bench has now passed a judgment with appropriate strictness that the case deserved,”

–he added.

He endorsed the division bench’s rigorous judgment and supported the re-evaluation of OMR sheets and the repayment of salaries by those who were improperly appointed, as directed by the court, emphasizing the importance of justice for the deserving candidates left in uncertainty for eight years.

“The court’s direction will have to be abided. Else justice cannot be served to the deserving candidates who are in limbo for the past eight years,”

–he said.

The former judge said-

“The court heard all sides extensively and was fair to all while delivering its judgment. I welcome the court’s decision”.

The case of Soma Das, whose appointment was uniquely upheld by Gangopadhyay on compassionate grounds and later by the division bench, was highlighted as a singular exception in the sweeping cancellations. Gangopadhyay praised the court’s comprehensive and equitable handling of the case, welcoming its final decision as a testament to the judicial system’s fairness and thoroughness.

Click Here to Read Previous Reports on Abhijit Gangopadhyay

Click Here to Read Previous Reports on Mamata Banerjee

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