Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam of Calcutta High Court on Tuesday assigned a new division bench to dispose of the Bengal government’s appeal for a stay on Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay’s order to the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate to probe alleged corruption in recruitment of nearly 5,000 employees in seven municipalities.
The division bench headed by Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty is likely to hear the appeal within a couple of days, a high court source said.
While Justice Gangopadhyay was hearing cases related to alleged irregularities in recruitments in schools,the ED’s counsel submitted that during a raid on the house of Ayan Sil, an accused in the case, documents showing alleged corruption in municipal appointments had been found.
The lawyer requested the judge to give the ED and the CBI permission to initiate a separate case on the municipal recruitments. Justice Gangopadhyay granted the prayer on April 21.
The state government prayed before Justice Amrita Sinha and later before a vacation division bench of the high court for a stay on JusticeGangopadhyay’s order, but failed to obtain an order in its favour.
The government later moved the division bench headed by the Chief Justice for immediate hearing of the case and a stay on the order. On Tuesday, Justice Sivagnanam assigned the matter for disposal to the division bench headed by Justice Chakraborty.