The Kolkata High Court has dismissed the plea of 300 SSC candidates deemed ‘tainted’ recruitment scam, reinforcing the Supreme Court’s directive and barring them from upcoming exams.
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KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court today (September 2, 2025) dismissed a petition filed by a section of candidates who were declared “tainted ineligible” in the ongoing School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment case. The Court refused to interfere with the list published by the SSC in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directive, which has been shaping the course of this controversy.
The Court’s Observation
Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya, while hearing the matter, strongly criticized the petitioners for their delay in approaching the court. The judge remarked,
“Where were you all this while? The moment the list is published, you rush to court. Enough is enough. After the Supreme Court’s direction and the subsequent publication of the list, how can you now claim that you are not tainted?”
The Court thus made it clear that it would not allow candidates to challenge the SSC’s list at this belated stage, especially when it was prepared following the apex court’s order.
During the hearing, the court enquired if the Supreme Court had allowed the petitioners to work till December 31.
“… And after not being allowed to work, what steps did you take?”
the bench said.
The SSC’s List of “Tainted Candidates”
Last week, the SSC published a list of 1,806 “tainted ineligible” candidates, as directed by the Supreme Court. According to the order, these candidates are barred from appearing in the upcoming SSC recruitment examinations scheduled for September 7 and 14, 2025.
The publication of this list has stirred further legal challenges, with some of the affected candidates moving to the High Court seeking permission to participate in the exams.
Arguments by the Parties
Petitioners’ Arguments:
Appearing for the petitioners, advocates Anindya Lahiri and Shakya Sen contended that their clients were wrongly categorized as tainted. They argued:
- Their clients did not fall under the categories identified earlier by the High Court’s Division Bench, such as those who submitted blank answer sheets, secured jobs from expired panels, or got appointments outside official panels.
- Many of the petitioners had answered at least one question in the exams and thus should not be treated as having submitted blank sheets.
- If they were truly ineligible, why were they allowed to download admit cards in the first place? This contradiction, they said, also needed judicial review.
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SSC’s Stand:
Senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee, appearing for the SSC, strongly opposed the petition. He asserted that:
- All petitioners were rightly declared “tainted ineligible.”
- The CBI investigation revealed large-scale manipulation of OMR sheets, with several candidates securing jobs by jumping ranks through tampering.
- The list was prepared only after thorough verification, leaving no scope for further debate.
“The fraud is proven. There is no merit in contesting the marks or rankings of these candidates,”
Banerjee told the court.
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