The bench, led by Justice Bela Trivedi, allowed the petitioners to withdraw the petition and granted them “liberty” to approach the High Court. The petition, filed by Advocates Tarini K Nayak and Aaditya Mishra, alleged that a massive scam is being perpetrated by the Tripura government.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday (7th Aug) has ruled that as many as 700 undergraduate teachers from Tripura, who were terminated from their positions, can file a petition challenging their dismissal in the High Court.
READ ALSO: Tripura’s 700 Teachers Challenge ‘Unlawful’ Termination Orders in Supreme Court
The teachers had approached the top court, alleging that the termination orders issued by the state government in 2017 and 2020 were “unlawful and unconstitutional”.
The bench, led by Justice Bela Trivedi, allowed the petitioners to withdraw the petition and granted them “liberty” to approach the High Court. The petition, filed by Advocates Tarini K Nayak and Aaditya Mishra, alleged that a massive scam is being perpetrated by the Tripura government.
A petition filed under Article 32 (Right to Constitutional Remedies) of the Constitution contends that the Tripura High Court, in 2014, invalidated the state government’s Employment Policy, deeming it “bad in law.” This decision led to the annulment of over 10,000 teacher appointments, who were subsequently terminated.
The petitioners argued that their recruitment adhered strictly to the prevailing rules at the time and should not be affected by the 2014 judgment. They claimed they were not informed about the court proceedings, making the judgment unfair.
READ ALSO: [Illegal Teacher Termination Case] Supreme Court Issues Notice to Tripura Government
Advocates Tarini K Nayak, Amrit Lal Saha, and Aaditya Mishra, representing the petitioners, alleged a significant scam involving the Tripura government. They asserted that the employment and salary codes for the terminated teachers remain active, resulting in continued salary disbursements from the state exchequer, which are being misappropriated by corrupt officials.
The Principal Accountant General (Addl.) of Tripura is reportedly investigating this alleged fraud. The petition highlighted the dire situation of the terminated teachers, with over 160 reported deaths due to lack of basic sustenance and several suicides.
The petitioners also submitted that the High Court judgement was delivered behind their backs, as they were not notified about the proceedings. Furthermore, the petition claimed that the employment and salary codes of all the terminated teachers have still been kept active, suggesting that the monthly remuneration of the teachers is being debited from the state exchequer and misappropriated by certain corrupt officials or bureaucrats.
The Supreme Court’s decision to allow the petitioners to approach the High Court provides an opportunity for the teachers to challenge their dismissal and potentially address the alleged scam perpetrated by the Tripura government.
