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The Calcutta High Court has ordered an enquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into alleged irregularities in the appointment of Group D staff in aided/sponsored schools under the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) on purported recommendations by the state's School Service Commission (SSC), noting that "corruption is writ large" in the entire process.

The Calcutta High Court bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay recently pulled up the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) in the case.

The Court was surprised to learn that over 500 similar illegal appointments may have been made by the WBBSE.

The state’s School Service Commission submitted before the Court that the body had not recommended the appointments.

However, the Board alleged that they have made the appointments on recommendation of the Commission. Further that they have made 25000 appointments since 2018, all in the same manner. To this, Justice Gangopadhyay noted that:

“The recommendations came from the Commission, be it West Bengal Central School Service Commission or West Bengal Regional School Service Commission, and accordingly the Board issued the appointment letters.”

However, the Comission has denied making any such recommendation. The Court asked on this, “Which is that invisible hand who prepared and sent the recommendation letters?” 

Noting that “corruption is writ large” in the entire process, the High Court ordered CBI to conduct an enquiry into the matter.

The Bureau has been ordered to constitute a committee, headed by an officer not below the rank of a Joint Director, with officers not below the rank of DIG to initiate the enquiry.

They are also to investigate into any money trail in issuance of such recommendation letters and subsequent issuance of appointment letters to the persons. The preliminary report is to be filed on December 21.

The Court further noted that the CBI is being handed over the investigation since both the authorities, the Commission and the Board, as also the police authority are controlled by the State. “This is a matter of Education Department which is a State department and in such matters to instill confidence in the public as to the fairness in the appointment in posts for which money from the public exchequer would be spent there should be one enquiry by an impartial agency,” the Court noted.

Cause Title: Sandeep Prasad v. State of West Bengal