Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, will hear pleas challenging the cancellation of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching jobs in West Bengal’s government and assisted schools. The appointments were declared invalid by the Calcutta High Court over alleged recruitment irregularities. The case has raised concerns for the affected employees and job aspirants. The hearing is set for January 15, 2025.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court is set to hear petitions contesting a Calcutta High Court ruling that invalidated the appointments of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in government and aided schools in West Bengal on January 15.
A bench consisting of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K.V. Viswanathan indicated on Tuesday that it has two options, either a three-judge bench will re-examine the case in its entirety, or it will be referred to a two-judge bench that began hearing final arguments on December 19, the last date of the hearing.
Considering the submissions from legal representatives, the Chief Justice announced that the matter will be taken up by the two-judge bench, comprising himself and Justice Kumar, at 2 PM on January 15.
There are currently 124 petitions pending in the Supreme Court, including one from the state government.
Previously, the bench had issued several procedural directives and appointed four lawyers as nodal counsel, instructing them to compile a common electronic document with details from various parties. The appointed nodal counsel includes Astha Sharma, representing the state government, along with Shalini Kaul, Partha Chatterjee, and Shekhar Kumar.
On May 7 of last year, the Supreme Court provided significant relief to the teachers and non-teaching staff whose services were nullified by the high court due to alleged irregularities in the appointment process.
The court allowed the CBI to continue its investigation, indicating that it may examine members of the state cabinet if necessary. While granting relief, the bench instructed the CBI not to take any immediate actions, such as arresting suspects, during its inquiry.
However, the court clarified that teachers and non-teaching staff whose appointments were cancelled would need to refund their salaries and other benefits if it was determined that their recruitment was unlawful.
The Supreme Court characterized the alleged recruitment scam as “systemic fraud” and emphasized that state authorities are obligated to maintain digitized records related to the appointment of the 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff.
The Calcutta High Court not only canceled the appointments but also mandated the CBI to investigate the appointment process and submit a report within three months.
Notably, over 2.3 million candidates had participated in the State Level Selection Test (SLST) 2016 for 24,640 available positions, resulting in the issuance of 25,753 appointment letters.