The Supreme Court intervened on Tuesday, staying the far-reaching decision of the Calcutta High Court made on April 22, which had revoked the appointments of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in government-aided schools across West Bengal. While providing temporary relief, the apex court granted permission for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to continue its investigation into the alleged irregularities surrounding the appointments.
The Calcutta High Court's ruling on April 21 dealt a severe blow to the Trinamool Congress-led government in West Bengal, as it invalidated over 25,000 appointments made through the state-level test conducted in 2016 for secondary and higher secondary schools supported by the government.
In its directive, the High Court authorized the CBI to delve deeper into the alleged malpractices surrounding the 2016 selection process for school jobs in West Bengal. However, the Supreme Court's latest intervention prohibits the investigative agency from taking any coercive measures against either the candidates or government officials involved in the matter.
The High Court's decision declared the entire recruitment process conducted by the School Service Commission in 2016 as "null and void." This declaration extends to all appointments made for positions ranging from 9th to 12th grade, as well as those falling under groups C and D, where irregularities were identified.