The Supreme Court, India’s highest judicial body, has intervened in the ongoing teacher recruitment scam in West Bengal, ordering a stay on a Calcutta High Court directive that instructed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the involvement of government officials. The apex court has further instructed the CBI to refrain from taking any precipitative measures.
The Supreme Court’s intervention came in response to an appeal filed by the West Bengal government, challenging the High Court’s judgment that invalidated the appointments of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff hired by the School Service Commission (SSC) in state-run and state-aided schools. The West Bengal government has argued that the High Court’s decision to cancel the appointments was ‘arbitrary’ and lacked sufficient legal basis.
The Calcutta High Court had earlier ordered the SSC to conduct fresh recruitments for the affected positions and directed illegally recruited individuals to return their salaries within a specified timeframe.
The teacher recruitment scam in West Bengal has drawn widespread attention and political controversy, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticizing the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) for its alleged involvement. Modi has condemned the scam as a betrayal of the affected families and a burden on young people who had taken out loans to pay bribes to TMC leaders.
The Supreme Court’s decision to stay the CBI probe and the High Court’s order has brought temporary relief to the West Bengal government and the affected individuals. However, the apex court has scheduled a further hearing on the matter for May 6, and it remains to be seen how the case will ultimately unfold.
