New Delhi, April 3 – India’s Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a Calcutta High Court verdict quashing the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in West Bengal schools, ruling that the hiring process was marred by fraud and manipulation.
A division bench led by Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said the selection process under the state’s School Service Commission (SSC) was “vitiated beyond repair.” The top court observed that large-scale irregularities had rendered the recruitment process unconstitutional.
“Manipulation and fraud on a large scale, coupled with the intention to cover up, have tainted the selection process beyond repair,” Khanna said in the ruling. “We see no reason to interfere with the High Court’s verdict, as the appointments were secured through fraud and cheating.”
The Supreme Court ruling affirmed that candidates whose appointments were deemed unlawful would lose their jobs but would not be required to return salaries received. Those who had previously held government positions and were not implicated in wrongdoing would be allowed to reapply for their former posts without a break in service or loss of seniority. The state has been directed to complete this process within three months.
The court also ruled that disabled candidates, including Soma Das, whose appointment had been upheld by the Calcutta High Court, would continue receiving wages until fresh recruitment was conducted. However, candidates found to have benefited from irregularities would be barred from participating in any future selection process.
The Calcutta High Court, in its 2023 verdict, had outlined 17 instances of illegality in the recruitment process, stating that the fraud was “deep and pervasive.” The court concluded that distinguishing legitimate hires from fraudulent ones was impossible and declared all appointments null and void.
The scandal has triggered a political firestorm in West Bengal. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has blamed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party for enabling the scam. “The chief minister is responsible because she allowed her party members to take bribes and appoint unqualified individuals,” BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said.
Suvendu Adhikari, leader of the opposition in the Bengal Assembly, demanded Banerjee’s resignation and arrest, accusing the state government of shielding those who paid bribes for jobs. “This corrupt government created supernumerary posts to protect undeserving candidates while sacrificing those who rightfully earned their jobs,” he said.
The recruitment scandal has also led to the arrest of former state education minister Partha Chatterjee, who is facing trial. The Supreme Court’s ruling effectively nullifies one of West Bengal’s largest teacher recruitment exercises and underscores judicial scrutiny over government hiring practices in India.
