Primary recruitment case: HC flags uncertainty in probe

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday observed that the ongoing probe into the alleged corruption in primary teacher recruitment cannot continue indefinitely, stressing that the lives and livelihoods of nearly 32,000 families are at stake.

A division bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Reetobroto Kumar Mitra told the counsels, “It is a very serious issue, we are dealing with the life and livelihood of nearly 32,000 families.” The judges further noted that since the CBI and ED investigations into the recruitment scam are still continuing, the process remains clouded with uncertainty. “You don’t know when it will end, I also don’t know when it will end. Only upon conclusion and pinpointing of the actual perpetrators of fraud can it be determined who benefitted through corruption,” Justice Chakraborty remarked.

The court was hearing a batch of 140 writ petitions filed after a May 2023 order of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay that cancelled the appointments of 32,000 teachers. That order was later stayed by another division bench following an appeal by the state government.

During Tuesday’s hearing, counsels for unsuccessful untrained candidates argued that no aptitude test had been conducted and the entire recruitment was marred

by irregularities. The bench observed that if aptitude tests were missing, the issue could affect not only 32,000 untrained candidates but also around 12,000 trained candidates, raising the question of whether the whole process stood compromised.

The matter will come up again for further hearing on September 11.