Bengal govt questions observation of Calcutta HC in teachers recruitment case

Kolkata, May 7 A new bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday started a detailed hearing on alleged irregularities in the recruitment of primary teachers of state-run schools, made by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE).

As the hearing began by the bench of Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Reetobrata Kumar Mitra, the state government counsel questioned the observation of the then Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who cancelled 32,000 teacher jobs on the grounds of rampant corruption in recruitments.

In May 2023, the single-judge bench of Gangopadhyay, who is currently a BJP Lok Sabha member, ordered the cancellation of 32,000 primary teacher jobs in the state.

Gangopadhyay passed the order acting on some petitions filed by some deprived candidates alleging that many secured recommendations for appointments despite ranking much lower in the recruitment examinations than many of the deprived candidates.

The state government challenged that order at the division bench, and the matter was referred to the bench headed by Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das. However, Justice Sen recently recused from hearing in the matter, following which the case was referred for hearing to the bench of Justice Chakraborty and Justice Mitra.

On Wednesday, during the hearing pleading on behalf of the state government, advocate general Kishor Datta questioned the basis on which Gangopadhyay reached the conclusion in May 2023 that appointments were given against money.

Reacting to Datta's arguments, Justice Chakraborty observed that in a case relating to corruption, the judge concerned can always have a realisation of his or her own.

In his counter-argument, the advocate general submitted that having a realisation did not mean that Gangopadhyay could have a preconceived notion in the matter and give directions based on it.

He also referred to the event where Gangopadhyay summoned some of these primary teachers and questioned them in a closed-door room. Datta’s question was whether Gangopadhyay, as a judge, could do it.

--IANS

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