New Delhi, April 3 (HS): The Supreme Court has affirmed the Calcutta High Court's decision to annul the appointments of nearly 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff in West Bengal. The bench, headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, stated that these appointments were made through fraudulent means.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court mentioned that those candidates who were appointed do not need to return their salaries. The Supreme Court indicated that in the new appointment process, candidates who do not have any disqualifications may be exempted. The court had reserved its decision on February 10. Previously, the court had temporarily stayed the Calcutta High Court's decision on May 7, 2024. The bench, chaired by then Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, reprimanded the West Bengal government, saying that the recruitment process was a well-planned conspiracy. The court noted that it is the responsibility of the officials to maintain digital records concerning the appointments of 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff.

The West Bengal government had filed a petition requesting a stay on the Calcutta High Court's ruling. The petition stated that the High Court's decision would bring educational activities in the state's schools to a standstill. In the petition, the state government alleged that the High Court had canceled the appointments arbitrarily without any affidavit or oral arguments on record. In fact, the Calcutta High Court had deemed the recruitment of teachers illegal on April 22, 2024, declaring the appointment of 24,000 candidates unlawful and ordering the return of salaries received after the appointments.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar