SSC SLST Case: ‘Find and Cancel Tainted Candidates’, Orders Supreme Court! Next Hearing on November 26th

SSC SLST Case: A significant hearing was held in the Supreme Court regarding the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) SLST recruitment scam case. In the hearing before the bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar, several important observations and directives concerning the future of job aspirants were made. The court has issued a stern and clear instruction to the West Bengal SSC, which is being seen as a major step towards ensuring transparency in the recruitment process.

A total of 24 connected cases, including the Vivek Pariyar case, were heard today. At the beginning of the hearing, the Justice enquired why the exam results have not been declared yet, noting that they are expected in the first week of November.

Directive to Identify Tainted Candidates

The most crucial moment of the hearing came when the Justice gave a strict order to the SSC. He stated, “You go back and check if there are any tainted candidates hiding in the list of examinees. If any such candidates are found, they must be identified and cancelled.”

The Justice made it clear that tainted candidates must be weeded out from the recruitment process. He noted that while the initial lists of tainted and untainted candidates were not in the public domain, they are now available to everyone. Therefore, the process of identifying and removing tainted individuals from among those who appeared for the exam must begin immediately.

Petitioners’ Plea and the Judge’s Remarks

The lawyer for the petitioners claimed that they were “untainted” candidates. However, when the Justice asked if they had appeared for the examination, the lawyer replied in the negative. Following this, the Justice remarked, “In that case, you fall into the tainted category. We cannot provide you with any relief or grant.”

A plea from the petitioners for a clarification of paragraph 47 of the main judgment and a separate day for a detailed hearing was not granted by the court.

Next Steps in the Case

When other lawyers sought clarification on the issue of returning to previous jobs, the Justice stated that the matter has already been made clear in the main judgment and requires no further hearing.

Key Information:

• Next Hearing Date: November 26th.
• Court’s Primary Directive: Identify and cancel tainted candidates from the list of those who took the exam.

No cases were dismissed during this hearing. All cases will be taken up again on November 26th. By then, the final results of the recruitment process might be published, which will help determine the future course of the case. This strict stance by the court is being viewed by many as a positive step towards restoring transparency in the recruitment process.