SSC 'Group-D' Recruitment Scam: Calcutta HC Orders CBI Probe Despite Division Bench's Earlier Order Quashing Such A Probe; Appeal Filed Before Division Bench

In an unprecedented development, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a probe into the alleged irregularities in the appointment of 'Group-D' (non-teaching staff) in sponsored Secondary and Higher Secondary schools under the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) on the purported recommendation by the West Bengal Central School Service Commission ((WBSSC). Such an order was passed by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay on Tuesday despite the fact that a Division Bench of the High Court had quashed Justice Gangopadhyay's earlier order wherein a similar CBI probe had been ordered into the alleged recruitment scam. A Division Bench comprising Justice Harish Tandon and Justice Rabindranath Samanta had quashed the order directing for a CBI probe and had further set up an inquiry committee headed by Justice Ranjit Kumar Bagh, former judge of the Calcutta High Court. The other members of the committee includes Asutosh Ghosh, Member of West Bengal School Service Commission, Paromita Roy, Deputy Secretary (Administration), West Bengal Board of Secondary Education and advocate Arunava Banerjee, a practicing lawyer of the High Court.On Tuesday, Justice Gangopadhyay expressed displeasure at the functioning of the inquiry committee constituted by the Division Bench and accordingly proceeded to dissolve the inquiry committee. The Court observed that despite its earlier order, the inquiry committee had not submitted its interim report or the minutes of the minutes of all the meetings conducted by the committee. "I hold that the Committee has clearly shown disrespect to this court in not filing the interim report and in not filing the minutes of the meetings. The Committee has also not shown any reason as to why it has not filed the interim report and as to why it has not filed the minutes of the meeting in a sealed cover. Therefore, I have no other alternative but to hold that for last more than two months the Committee has not taken any meaningful steps in the inquiry of the entire process. It is not understood what is the preventing factor acting against the Committee for nor filing the interim report and not filing the minutes of the meeting before this court", Justice Gangopadhyay observed. Opining further that satisfaction of the court is necessary for continuation of the committee, Justice Gangopadhyay dissolved the inquiry committee by directing, "This show of enough disrespect to this court by the Committee will not be tolerated and is not tolerated by this court and I dissolve the Committee keeping in mind that the committee is not acting under the Division Bench and the Division Bench is not in seisin of the committee and it is the order of the Division Bench that this committee is to file report before this single bench. Therefore satisfaction of this court is necessary for continuation of the committee. I am wholly dissatisfied with the committee and it is not required to function further in this matter. The Committee shall have no power to inquire into the matter from today."The Court further directed the members of the dissolved Committee to produce the interim report and the minutes of the meeting in a sealed cover by tomorrow, i.e.. on February 16, 2022. Pertinently, the CBI was directed to constitute a committee, headed by an officer not below the rank of a Joint Director, with officers not below the rank of DIG to initiate the inquiry into the alleged recruitment scam. The Court also ordered the CBI to file a preliminary report in this regard on March 16, 2022. The CBI was also directed to contact the Chairperson of the Committee Justice Ranjit Kumar Bagh and to collect all papers in respect of this matter from his custody and to appear before the Court tomorrow i.e. on February 16. The Court further directed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to keep a vigil on the office of the Committee and accordingly observed, "Till CBI enters the office of the Committee, if there is any, no other person, whoever he may be, will enter the office from now and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is directed to place vigil immediately with sufficient force in the office of the Committee so that nobody can enter in the said office till CBI completes its duty there."The Court is slated to hear the matter again tomorrow i.e. on February 16 at 11 am. Appeal Filed Against the order of Justice Gangopadhyay, the WBBSE as well as the WBSSC moved the Division Bench comprising Justices Harish Tandon and Rabindranath Samanta on Tuesday. Advocate General S.N Mookherjee prayed for a stay of the order directing for a CBI inquiry and further implored the Division Bench to also impose a stay on further proceedings. Senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya appearing for the aggrieved candidates agreed to the request made for a stay on the CBI probe however he opposed the prayer made by the Advocate General seeking a stay on further proceedings. He apprised the...

SSC 'Group-D' Recruitment Scam: Calcutta HC Orders CBI Probe Despite Division Bench's Earlier Order Quashing Such A Probe; Appeal Filed Before Division Bench

Aaratrika Bhaumik

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