The Supreme Court directed respondents in the West Bengal teacher recruitment case, including the state government, to file its response within two weeks. The apex court also appointed nodal counsels for various categories in connection with the case.
Hearing the case, Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra noted respondents in the case, including the West Bengal state government and original petitioners in the Calcutta High Court have not filed their response in the case. The apex court gave a final opportunity for the respondents to file an affidavit within two weeks and the right to file affidavits would be closed after the stipulated period.
"No counter affidavit has been filed till date. In the event that any of the respondents seek to file their counters, they shall do so on or before two weeks; if no counter is filed then the right to file counter affidavit shall stand closed and the proceedings shall be conducted on the basis of the record as it stands,” Live Law reported quoting the bench.
The bench categorised the stakeholders in the case into five - West Bengal Government; WBSSC; Original petitioners - who were not selected (representing classes 9-10, 11-12, groups C and D), persons whose appointments are cancelled by the High CourtandCentral Bureau of Investigation. The Court also appointed nodal counsels for compiling affidavits and ease of hearing. The Court will next hear the case after three weeks.
The Supreme Court on May 7 granted a major relief to teachers and non-teaching staff of West Bengal whose services were invalidated by the high court on the grounds of irregularities in the appointment process. It, however, had permitted the CBI to continue with its probe and said it may even investigate members of the state cabinet if needed. However, it stayed the agency from making any arrests in the case.
The top court had termed the alleged recruitment scam in West Bengal as "systemic fraud" and said the state authorities were duty-bound to maintain the digitised records pertaining to the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff.
-with inputs from agencies.
