SSC case: HC extends stay on single bench order summoning Min to appear before CBI
kolkata: In a temporary relief to minister Partha Chatterjee, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court Wednesday extended a stay for five weeks on an earlier order that directed him to appear before the CBI in connection with a petition alleging irregularities in appointment of assistant teachers in state government-aided schools.
The division bench comprising Justices Subrata Talukder and A K Mukherjee also refused to accept the resignation of Justice (retired) R K Bag from the chairmanship of a committee appointed earlier by another division bench of the court to inquire into the allegations, and requested it to complete investigation in Group C-post appointments.
The panel has already submitted its report on the probe into Group-D appointments.
The bench directed that the stay granted by it on an order of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay that asked Partha Chatterjee, who is at present holding the portfolios of parliamentary affairs, industry and commerce, to appear before the CBI by Tuesday evening, will continue for five weeks from Wednesday.It also directed the Bag Committee to submit its report by May 13, when the matter will come up for hearing again.The bench is hearing several appeals connected to appointments under the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) to posts of assistant teachers for Classes 9 and 10, Group-C and Group-D staff. In its order on Tuesday, the Single Judge Bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay had pointed out that that the minister cannot go to SSKM or any other hospital before heading to the CBI office and it informed the central agency that it may arrest the TMC leader, if necessary.
Later in the day, Chatterjee's lawyer approached a division bench of the high court seeking a stay on the order which was granted by the double bench of Justices Subrata Talukdar and Anand Kumar Mukherjee. The court noted that Bag had through a communication of April 11 to the Registrar General of the high court, sought recusal from the inquiry. "However, in the larger interests of the ultimate adjudication of the issues presented, the offer to resign by the chairperson is respectfully not accepted," the bench said.
