Kolkata, 7 May (H.S.): The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday declined to hear a contempt petition related to the cancellation of 26,000 school jobs in the ongoing SSC recruitment scam, offering a temporary reprieve to the West Bengal government and the School Service Commission (SSC).

A division bench comprising Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Mohammad Shabbar Rashidi stated that since the matter is now pending before the Supreme Court, any further proceedings will be taken up only by the apex court. The bench clarified that the Supreme Court has already modified, upheld, or set aside certain portions of the High Court’s earlier orders, and it is now up to the top court to monitor compliance.

The contempt petition had alleged that despite clear directions from both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court, neither the SSC nor the State Education Department had taken adequate corrective action. The petitioners argued that this inaction amounted to contempt of court.

Earlier, Justice Basak had directed the SSC to publish a list of disqualified and tainted candidates along with their OMR sheets, and to begin the process of recovering salaries paid to them. Following this, the state government sought permission to present fresh legal arguments, which was granted by the court.

The state government and the SSC had consistently maintained that the matter could not be heard by the High Court since it was already sub judice in the Supreme Court. However, the petitioners’ counsel argued that the High Court retains the inherent power to hear contempt cases, especially if court orders are not being implemented.

Ultimately, the bench ruled in favor of deferring the matter to the Supreme Court, effectively relieving the state government and SSC from immediate legal scrutiny at the High Court level. This decision is seen as a temporary legal respite for the authorities involved.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh