Kolkata: The Supreme Court on Tuesday postponed the hearing of petitions pertaining to the Calcutta High Court’s April 22 judgment on the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in government and aided schools in Bengal.
It was learnt that the apex court granted a last opportunity to file responses to the pleas challenging a Calcutta High Court order invalidating the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in government and aided schools in West Bengal. The pleas challenging the high court order also include the one filed by the West
Bengal government.
The top court, which has been hearing 33 petitions pertaining to the high court’s April 22 judgment on the matter, has fixed them for a final hearing after three weeks.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra were reportedly informed that the response affidavits have not been filed by many parties. The Bengal government has also not filed its reply in cases where it is made a respondent.
The CJI reportedly said: “Alright, we will give them one opportunity... no counter (affidavit) filed till date. In the event that any of the respondents seek to file they shall file on or before two weeks, if no counter (affidavit) is filed then the right to file counter
stands closed.”
It was further learnt that the bench issued several procedural directions and appointed four lawyers as nodal counsel while asking them to file a common compilation in electronic form after getting details from the lawyers of
various parties.
The apex court on May 7 granted a major relief to teachers and non-teaching staff of 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.