The high court on Wednesday directed that the 32,000-odd candidates who were appointed in primary schools on the basis of the 2014 teachers’ eligibility test have to file affidavits by January 18, stating their views on the allegation that they had secured their jobs by paying money.
A division bench, headed by Justice Soumen Sen, scheduled the next hearing for January 20.
Two division benches of the Supreme Court had issued directions to Calcutta High Court on the disposal of the cases related to alleged irregularities in school recruitments.
One of the two division benches had directed the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court to form a special division bench to hear the cases related to alleged irregularities in recruitment of teachers and other staff in government-aided secondary schools across Bengal.
The other bench had directed the high court to get the cases related to alleged recruitment irregularities in primary schools dealt with by a division bench.
Earlier, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the high court had issued an order cancelling the appointment of the 32,000-odd candidates, who are now required to submit affidavits by January 18, in primary schools.
A division bench of the high court, headed by Justice Subrata Talukdar, upheld Justice Gangopadhyay’s order.
The state moved the Supreme Court against the decision of the division bench
and the apex court sent the matter back to the high court for disposal by the division bench.
After Justice Talukdar’s retirement, the case was assigned to a division bench headed by Justice Sen. The bench on Wednesday held that all the 32,000-odd candidates should be given a chance to defend themselves and sought their affidavits.