High Court’s Stern Observations on CBI’s Role in Recruitment Scam

High Court: The Calcutta High Court has expressed strong suspicion regarding the role of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the West Bengal primary teacher recruitment scam case. The division bench of Justice Tapobrata Chakraborty has raised several questions about the prolonged duration and progress of the investigation, causing a stir in the state’s administrative and political circles.
The High Court’s Key Observations and Questions
The court has voiced concerns over the activities of the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the investigation of this long-pending corruption case. During the hearing, the High Court highlighted several important issues that have put the transparency of the investigating agency itself into question.
- Where Does the Investigation End?: The court directly questioned when this investigation process would conclude. It expressed dissatisfaction that even after years of investigation, it has not been possible to reach a final chargesheet or conclusion.
- Method of Identifying the Culprits: The judge asked the petitioner’s lawyer how the main conspirators and beneficiaries would be identified from this vast web of corruption and how their crimes would be proven. The question was raised whether the investigating agency has a clear roadmap for this.
- Role of the Primary Education Board: The court also questioned the non-transparent method of panel publication by the Primary Education Board. Justice Chakraborty commented that if there are no specific rules for publishing the panel, the board can act on its own whim, which further paves the way for corruption.
- The Future of the Cancelled Jobs: The High Court expressed concern, stating that if the jobs of 32,000 untrained teachers are cancelled, how will the priority of trained candidates be ensured? The CBI has been asked to consider how this complexity will be resolved.
These stern observations by the Calcutta High Court have brought a new turn to the recruitment scam case. This lack of confidence from the court in the investigating agency is believed to play a crucial role in determining the future of this case in the coming days.