The Calcutta High court halted a single Judge’s order ordering the CBI to carry out a detailed investigation into the hiring of the non-teaching staff of ‘Group-D’ rank in government-funded secondary and higher secondary schools under the aegis of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education.
Apparently, these hirings were ostensibly suggested by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC).
What exactly happened? – The State government in 2016 had suggested hiring close to 13000 ‘Group-D’ ranked non-teaching staff into various government-funded schools and WBSSC followed the action and carried out examinations and timely interviews. Soon a panel was constituted. In 2019 this panel’s term ended. Despite the term ending it’s alleged that the panel continued to hire staff, close to 500 such recruitees have been appointed and accommodated into these schools.
Present-day scenario – In this disputed directive dated 31st March 2022, a former adviser to the WBSSC, SP Sinha was summoned by the regional head of the CBI under the orders of Justice Gangopadhyay. As per the directive, SP Sinha will be roasted later midnight tonight by the CBI.
Today simultaneously Additional Attorney General YJ Dastoor presented Justice Gangopadhyay with a preliminary report with utmost confidentiality, which had all the answers, Sinha gave during the interrogation posed by the CBI. He informed the Justice that Sinha had already been roasted by the CBI on 31st March late at night around 11.15 pm.
Today, the Justice was further intimated by Sinha’s lawyer that a Division bench jointly chaired by Justice Harish Tandon and Justice Soumen Sen is slated to witness an appeal against Justice Gangopadhyay’s order for a probe by the CBI post noon today. Hence Sinha’s lawyer requested for delaying the hearing.
However, Justice Gangopadhyay smartly responded, ” Unless someone literally ties my hands, the hearing will go on as per schedule.”
Now as of today, the Division Bench has halted a stay on the CBI probe until the next court hearing dated April 4th, 2022. The Division Bench relaxed SP Sinha from appearing for the CBI interrogation until further directives were given.
