Calcutta High Court: It is not new for the Calcutta High Court to question the progress of the CBI investigation in the SSC corruption case. However, this time, the judge directly questioned the central investigating agency about the source of its information. The court demanded clarity on the basis of the CBI’s allegation of job sales in Work Education and Physical Education and from which document this information was obtained. This development marks a new turn in the investigation of the SSC corruption case.
During the hearing of the case in Justice Amrita Sinha’s courtroom on Tuesday, the CBI’s counsel was asked about the source of their information regarding the sale of jobs at the upper primary level for Work and Physical Education posts. Justice Sinha stated clearly, “The CBI must present the document to the court from which they received the information about job sales.” This directive makes it clear that the court is closely monitoring every step of the investigation and is unwilling to tolerate any lack of transparency.
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Questions Over Investigative Jurisdiction
A significant issue was raised in the court’s observation. The CBI has not conducted any formal investigation into recruitment at the upper primary level. The High Court questioned how, despite this, the charge sheet for the primary teacher recruitment scam could mention the sale of jobs at the upper primary level. In the judge’s words, “How can information be presented in a charge sheet for a matter where there is no FIR and no permission to investigate?” This has raised serious questions about the CBI’s investigative jurisdiction and procedural integrity.
New Directive for SSC
In this hearing, the School Service Commission (SSC) was also given a new directive. The court has ordered that the merit list published for the appointment in Work Education and Physical Education at the upper primary level must be submitted to the court. Through this, the court intends to scrutinize the merit list and the transparency of the recruitment process.
The Path Forward and CBI’s Deadline
The court has given the CBI a deadline of July 1st to submit its source of information and the relevant documents. The next hearing of the case is scheduled for the same day. It remains to be seen whether the CBI can comply with the court’s order within the stipulated time and how the case will proceed based on the information they provide. This development has not only increased the pressure on the CBI but has also instilled new hope for justice among the job aspirants.
