School Jobs For Cash Scam: Supreme Court Stays HC Order Allowing CBI, ED Probe Against TMC MLA Manik Bhattacharya

The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed two orders of the Calcutta High Court that had directed a fresh probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate against Trinamool Congress MLA Manik Bhattacharya, former director of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education, in connection with the teacher's appointment scam.A Division Bench of Justice AS Bopanna. The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed two orders of the Calcutta High Court that had directed a fresh probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate against Trinamool Congress MLA Manik Bhattacharya, former director of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education, in connection with the teacher's appointment scam. The Apex Court, staying the orders of the High Court dated 25th and 26th July, held: “In a matter of the present nature, when it is evident that the petitioner is not a party to the said writ proceedings and certain orders have been made to his detriment, in any event, before this Court ultimately decides the said matter no further prejudice shall be caused to the petitioner.” In its July 25 order, the Calcutta High Court had granted liberty to the ED and CBI to interrogate Bhattacharya in relation to the cash for jobs scam and had granted them liberty to take him into custody if necessary. A single bench of the Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court while passing the order for termination and fresh selection had observed as thus: “From the gross illegality in the selection procedure in the recruitment exercise of 2016 conducted by the Board it is clear that the Board and its officials including its former President conducted the whole affair like affair of a local club and now it is gradually coming to light by investigation of Enforcement Directorate that jobs for primary school teachers were actually sold to some candidates who had the money to purchase the employment.