SC stays CBI probe into West Bengal govt officials' role in teacher recruitment scam

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The Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Calcutta High Court order directing the CBI to probe into the role of West Bengal government officials in a teacher recruitment scam. The top court was hearing a plea by the West Bengal government against a high court order invalidating the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff made by the School Service Commission (SSC) in state-run and state-aided schools.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra said it will hear the matter on May 6. "We will stay the direction which says the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) will undertake further investigation against officials in the state government," the bench said. Calcutta High Court had said the CBI would undertake further investigations with regard to the persons involved in the state government approving the creation of supernumerary post to accommodate illegal appointments.

If necessary, the CBI will undertake custodial interrogation of such persons involved, it had said. Challenging the order, the state government, in its appeal filed before the top court, said the high court cancelled the appointments "arbitrarily". "The high court failed to appreciate the ramification of cancelling the entire selection process, leading to straightaway termination of teaching and non-teaching staff from service with immediate effect, without giving sufficient time to the petitioner state to deal with such an exigency, rendering the education system at a standstill," the plea said.

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