SSC Supreme Court: SC Grants Leave in SSC Case: Petitioners Get Liberty to Move High Court
SSC Supreme Court: A highly significant hearing regarding the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam took place today at the Supreme Court of India. The hearing for this Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was conducted by a bench comprising the Chief Justice and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. Listed at serial number 24, the case witnessed moments of high tension in the courtroom. While the case was on the verge of being dismissed at one point, the intervention of senior advocates kept a glimmer of hope alive for the petitioners.
Below is a detailed breakdown of the court’s observations, the arguments presented, and the final order from today’s hearing.
Courtroom Dynamics and Initial Observations
At the commencement of the hearing, there was a brief discussion regarding the language of proceedings amongst the judges. Since Justice Joymalya Bagchi, who moved from the Calcutta High Court to the Supreme Court, was present on the bench, he was capable of understanding Bengali. However, the primary arguments and dialogue were ultimately concluded in Hindi.
The Chief Justice (CJI) made several strict observations right at the beginning:
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Join on Telegram- He explicitly noted that the High Court had already set aside the entire panel due to the sheer scale of corruption.
- The Supreme Court had previously examined similar matters in detail and dismissed earlier petitions, finding no valid grounds for intervention.
- The CJI posed a direct question: “Where corruption has taken place and the High Court has cancelled the recruitment for that very reason, what is left for me to do now? What exactly are you seeking?”
Petitioners’ Arguments and the Court’s Stance
Advocate Shahen Aditya, representing the petitioners, highlighted the helplessness of the job aspirants before the court. In response to the Chief Justice’s queries, he clarified that they were not challenging the core judgment itself. Instead, they wanted to bring to light the suffering of genuine candidates resulting from the verdict.
Advocate Aditya’s key arguments were:
- A ‘Tainted List’ identifying ineligible candidates has already been published.
- Since it is possible to segregate the tainted candidates, why should qualified and genuine candidates suffer?
- Justice should be ensured for these eligible candidates through this PIL.
Despite these arguments, the Chief Justice expressed reluctance to interfere, stating, “Thank you, I cannot do anything.”
Intervention by Senior Counsel and the Turning Point
Just as the case was about to be dismissed, Senior Advocate Karuna Nundy, known for her previous arguments in the DA case, intervened. She requested the court not to dismiss the matter outright. Instead, she appealed for a ‘Leave Grant’.
The primary objective of this appeal was to ensure that the petitioners could approach the High Court again with their grievances, keeping their legal avenues open.
Final Outcome: At a Glance
The essence of today’s hearing is summarized in the table below:
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Case Type | Public Interest Litigation (PIL) – SSC Recruitment Scam |
| Bench | Chief Justice & Justice Joymalya Bagchi |
| Petitioners’ Counsel | Shahen Aditya & Karuna Nundy |
| Final Order | Leave Granted & Liberty to Mention |
Ultimately, the Supreme Court did not dismiss the case. The court granted ‘Leave’, meaning the legal battle is not over. The petitioners can now utilize ‘Liberty to Mention’ to present their arguments afresh before the Calcutta High Court or file a new petition.
Additionally, another PIL related to the SSC matter (likely the case filed by Laxmi Kumar Patra) is listed for hearing tomorrow before the bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar. All eyes are now set on the next hearing.
