Calcutta HC Cancels Recruitments, Over 25,000 Persons Lose School Jobs
The Calcutta High Court on Monday cancelled the appointment of 25,753 individuals, empanelled in 2016, declaring the appointments of various categories of jobs for teaching and non-teaching staff at secondary, higher secondary schools, Group-C and Group D in West Bengal as “null & void”.
A division bench comprising Justice Debangshu Basak and Justice Md Shabbar Rashidi also directed the persons appointed outside the panel or candidates after expiry of the panel and those who submitted blank OMR sheets to return all remunerations and benefits within four weeks.
“Persons who had been appointed outside the panel, after expiry of the panel as also those who submitted blank OMR sheets but obtained appointments, must return all remunerations and benefits received to the exchequer along with interest at 12% per annum, from the date of receipt thereof till deposit, within a period of four weeks,” the court said.
The bench directed the CBI to undertake further investigation in connection with the appointment process and submit a report within three months. The district magistrates have been asked by the HC to take "expeditious steps to realise such an amount" from candidates under their jurisdiction.
Former Calcutta HC judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay, now a BJP member, had ordered the CBI in May 2022, to probe the appointment of non-teaching staff (Group C and D) and teaching staff by the School Service Commission (SSC) and West Bengal Board of Secondary Education between 2014 and 2021. The candidates allegedly paid ₹5-15 lakh to get jobs, even after failing in the entrance tests.“The enormity of such wrongdoing is accentuated by the fact that the illegal appointments are sought to be confirmed in educational institutions…,” the court observed.
