West Bengal SSC Recruitment Scam: HC Declares 24,000 Jobs Null, Mamata Calls Judgement 'Illegal'

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Monday declared the entire panel of 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment null and void. All appointments from 9th to 12th and groups C and D where irregularities were found have also been declared null and void, news agency ANI reported. All together around 24,000 jobs have been cancelled. 

Calling the High Court's decision “illegal”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that she is going to move Supreme Court and said that her government is supporting the ones who have lost their jobs.

SSC Chairman Siddharth Mazumdar to Move SC 

Expressing his unhappiness with the Calcutta High Court decision, SSC Chairman Siddharth Mazumdar said, “The complaint was against 5,000 jobs that were given unfairly. How can 24,000 jobs be declared null and void?” adding that he will be moving Supreme Court.

A division bench comprising justices Debangsu Basak and Md Shabbar Rashidi also directed the CBI to undertake further investigation in respect of the appointment process, and submit a report in three months.

The court has instructed the administration to take action on fresh appointments in the next 15 days. The bench directed the West Bengal School Service Commission to initiate a fresh appointment process. Over 23 lakh candidates had appeared for the 2016 SLST for 24,640 vacant posts.

Bengal SSC Recruitment 2016 Judgement: Key Points  

• The whole panel of recruitment by the West Bengal Education Board and the SSC board has been declared null and void by the court.
• The high court stated that there have been 17 types of scams/corruption within the SSC scam. This includes fake OMR sheets, bringing in agencies, involvement of SSC officials in destroying original OMR sheets, mirror image (producing fake OMR sheets), creation of supernumerary posts to accommodate people who were not there in the original list.
• Anyone who has illegally received recruitment needs to return their salary to the Government/Board within a specified time.
• If required the people who were recruited could be taken into custody by the CBI for questioning.
• Meanwhile, four weeks' time has been given to the DMs of specified districts to find out the people who got illegally the jobs.
• One exception in the matter has been mentioned by the court in the case of Soma Das, a cancer victim. The court has ordered that her job will remain safe.

(With inputs from agencies)