“No CBI inquiry into teacher posts”: SC

The Supreme Court has said there will be no CBI inquiry into the Bengal government’s creation of extra posts to accommodate the estimated 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff sacked from the state’s School Service Commission after the court voided the selection process.

A Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna-led bench overruled the Calcutta High Court, pointing out courts are barred from investigating cabinet decisions and that the order was incorrect. The court was hearing a petition from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government challenging that High Court order.

Last week the Supreme Court ruled the West Bengal School Service Commission’s selection processes were “vitiated by manipulation and fraud” and had tainted its legitimacy.

The bench – consisting of Chief Justice and Justice Sanjay Kumar – said the appointments resulted from cheating and said, “Manipulations and frauds on a large scale, coupled with the attempted cover-up, have dented the selection process beyond repair and partial redemption.”

The Bengal government had approached the Supreme Court to challenge the High Court’s earlier order and press for the separation of ‘tainted’ and ‘untainted’ candidates.

The court, however, said verification of that sort is difficult given “the scale of camouflage at each stage” and ruled, “… the entire selection process was intentionally compromised…”

A furious Ms Banerjee – who must also prep her Trinamool Congress for what will certainly be a high-tension, high-stakes, and hostile campaign for next year’s Assembly election – had responded sharply to the Supreme Court setback, vowing to protect the ‘deserving’ teachers.