New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday (January 7) said it would hear on January 15 pleas challenging a Calcutta High Court order cancelling over 25,000 school jobs in the state of West Bengal for alleged irregularities in the appointment process in recruitment.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan was hearing 124 pleas, including the one filed by the West Bengal government on the matter.
What did the bench say on Tuesday?
When the hearing into the matter started, the CJI said that there are two options before it – either the matter is reheard by a three-judge bench all over again or it be listed it before a two-judge bench that began hearing final arguments on the matter December 19, the last date of hearing.
CJI Khanna, taking note of the submissions made by lawyers, said that the matter will be heard by a two-judge bench comprising him and Justice Kumar at 2 pm on January 15.
Bench had earlier issued a slew of procedural directions
The bench had earlier issued a slew of procedural directions while hearing the matter and had appointed four lawyers as nodal counsel. It had asked the lawyers appointed as nodal counsel – Astha Sharma, who represents the state government, Shalini Kaul, Partha Chatterjee and Shekhar Kumar – to file a common compilation in electronic form after getting details from the lawyers of various parties.
Apex Court earlier granted major relief to affected teaching, non-teaching staff
The top court had earlier last year granted major relief to affected teaching and non-teaching staff and had asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), while asking it to continue its probe, not to take any precipitative action like arrest of a suspect during its investigation.
The apex court, however, had made clear that the affected teaching and non-teaching staff would have to refund the salaries and other emoluments if it was established that their recruitment was illegal.
