School jobs case: Entire recruitment panel might be cancelled if irregularities are proven, observes Calcutta HC

Kolkata: The entire panel of the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) responsible for recruiting teaching and non-teaching staff in the state-run schools might be cancelled if the irregularities in the recruitment process are proven beyond doubt, the Calcutta High Court observed on Wednesday.

A division bench of Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi observed that although the court will look into many other aspects of the cash-for-school-jobs case, the inevitable will happen if the charges of corruption and irregularities are proven beyond doubt.

“What should be done with that person who has received a backdoor appointment through unfair means,” Justice Basak questioned.

When the counsel for some of the candidates, whose appointments are under scanner, raised doubts about the credibility of the WBSSC, Justice Basak observed that if the commission is not credible, the entire recruitment process lacked transparency.

“What was the fault of the 23 lakh candidates who appeared for the recruitment examination? They just wanted the recruitment process to be transparent,” Justice Basak noted.

He also said that in this particular case, the issue of the fate of the candidates, whose appointments are in question, and their family members, is being raised.

“But what will happen to the 23 lakh candidates who appeared for the examination? The court needs to think about them as well. A transparent recruitment process was their only demand,” Justice Basak observed.

On Tuesday, the same bench made strong observations after the counsel for the candidates, whose appointments are in question, cast aspersions at a past order passed by the former judge of Calcutta High Court, Abhijit Gangopadhyay, directing the return of salaries of the terminated candidates on charges of getting the job through unfair means.

"Why was there such a harsh order for the return of salaries already earned? Had you passed a similar order, had you been in that place," the counsel questioned.

Justice Basak retorted: "Had we been in that place, we would have gone a step ahead. We would have asked for their interrogation after taking them into custody. What do you think should be done if anyone secures jobs through unfair means?"