The Supreme Courts decision on Monday to stay the Calcutta High Courts order directing a CBI probe into the teacher recruitment scam come as a relief to the Bengal government. This development essentially puts a temporary halt to the investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged irregularities in teacher recruitment.The statement from the top court has come after hearing a petition by the state government against the Calcutta High Court for invalidating the appointment of over 24,000 teachers and non-teaching staff made by the School Service Commission (SSC) in 2016. In addition, the top court has asked the CBI not to take any coercive steps in the case till the next hearing, which is May 6. Astha Sharma, the advocate on file, submitted the plea. According to the plea, approximately 23,123 teaching and non-teaching staff members in the State of West Bengal are impacted by the Calcutta High Courts order to set aside the selection procedure. After the panel expired, the HC ordered those who had been appointed outside of it, as well as those who had submitted blank OMR sheets but were appointed, to return all of their earnings and benefits to the State Treasury, plus interest computed at a rate of 12 percent annually.In the last hearing, the high court also directed West Bengal to further mechanically direct the SSC to undertake a fresh selection process in respect of the declared vacancies. However, after the recent hearing on Monday, the Supreme Court stated that if needed, the CBI will take over the investigation.This decision might provide some breathing space for the Bengal government as it navigates through the legal complexities of the case. However, its important to note that this is just a temporary measure, and the outcome will depend on further judicial proceedings and decisions.
