New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) request to investigate the creation of supernumerary posts in state-run schools under the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government. The Court overruled a verdict by the Calcutta High Court that had directed the CBI to detain state cabinet members for questioning if necessary.
The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, stated that judicial intervention was unnecessary in the matter. The Court clarified that over 5,000 supernumerary posts were created by the state government in compliance with established rules, and the appointments were approved by the Governor.
This decision followed an earlier stay issued in April 2024 by a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, which had paused the Calcutta High Court’s ruling. The case involved allegations that the state government had created these posts to provide jobs to individuals who had been appointed illegally, allegedly in exchange for bribes.
In a related ruling, the Supreme Court had previously annulled the appointments of nearly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff by the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC). The Court upheld the Calcutta High Court’s decision, which found that the recruitment process had been marred by corruption and fraud. The SSC failed to present separate lists for deserving and undeserving candidates, leading to the cancellation of the entire 2016 recruitment panel.
The Calcutta High Court’s 2024 ruling had invalidated the recruitment of over 25,000 school staff members, including those in government-sponsored and aided schools. This decision also dismissed the 2016 teacher recruitment panel formed by the West Bengal School Service Commission.
Several individuals, including former state education minister Partha Chatterjee, former primary education board president Manik Bhattacharya, and Trinamool Congress youth leader Kuntal Ghosh, have been arrested in connection with the recruitment scam.
The controversy surrounding the case was sparked by a directive from former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Ganguly, who called for a CBI investigation into the recruitment irregularities. Ganguly, now contesting the Lok Sabha elections on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket, had initiated the probe.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, announced that a review petition has been filed in the Supreme Court to seek a reconsideration of the judgment. She was addressing at Kolkata’s Netaji Indoor Stadium on Monday.
Speaking on the occasion she expressed her defiance against the verdict, stating, “I may be jailed for speaking out, but I cannot abandon the people in their difficult times.”
Mamata assured job candidates that the government would take steps to protect the jobs of deserving candidates, regardless of the outcome of the Supreme Court’s reconsideration. “If the verdict is in our favor, fine; if not, I will ensure deserving candidates do not suffer,” she said, adding that those currently serving in their positions could continue to offer voluntary service.
The Chief Minister urged job candidates to remain hopeful and patient, stating that they would not face long-term hardship if they endure the situation for a couple of months.
