Bengal Teachers' Recruitment Scam: Mamata Govt Moves SC After Calcutta HC Nullifies 24,000 Appointments

Mamata government has moved Supreme Court after Calcutta High Court declared the entire recruitment process of State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST), null and void.

West Bengal government on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court against the Calcutta High Court's decision, declaring the entire recruitment process of 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) null and void. It ordered cancelling of all the appointments made through the State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST) recruitment process with immediate effect, nullifying over 24,000 jobs. 

Calcutta High Court had pronounced the judgement on petitions alleging irregularities in the selection of candidates in Bengal government-sponsored and aided secondary and higher secondary schools through a 2016 recruitment process. 

A division bench comprising justices Debangsu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi also directed the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) to initiate a fresh appointment process within the next 15 days.

The ones who were recruited illegally through this scam were also instructed to return their salary within a months period.

It also ordered the CBI to further probe into the appointment process and submit a report in three months.

The investigation agency had earlier arrested former state education minister Partha Chatterjee and a few other functionaries who held positions in the West Bengal SSC as a part of this school jobs scam.

The court exempted one Soma Das, a cancer victim and assured her that her job would remain safe.

Reacting to the Calcutta High Court's decision, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said: "We will stand by those who lost jobs." She also alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders are influencing the judgements and the judiciary.

A lawyer representing some of the petitioners who alleged irregularities in the selection process stated that a total of 25,753 appointment letters were issued against 24,640 vacancies, PTI reported. 

Over 23 lakh candidates had appeared for the SLST-2016 for these vacant posts.

Around 4,000 people who lost their jobs after the High Court declared their teaching appointments null and void due to irregularities in the recruitment process staged protests at Shahid Minar Ground in Kolkata on Tuesday.

BJP Slams TMC Over Recruitment Scam, Says 'TMC Looting People's Money'

Following the Calcutta High Court's decision regarding the teachers' recruitment scam in West Bengal, BJP candidate from Malda Lok Sabha, Khagen Murmu slammed TMC saying, "TMC is a corrupt party. Yesterday's court order revealed that TMC took money from more than 25000 people in return for jobs and now their jobs have been taken away."

He stressed that TMC should not be voted to power in the Lok Sabha elections and instead, all the 42 seats must go to BJP.

"TMC is absolutely looting people's money here in the state.PM Narendra Modi will be coming here on 26 April. I want to tell people that TMC should win even 1 seat in the state, all 42 seats should go to BJP," Murmu said.