Supreme Court to Decide on CBI Investigation into West Bengal's Education Scandal

Supreme Court's Upcoming Hearing on CBI Probe

Kolkata: The Supreme Court is set to deliberate on whether the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should investigate the West Bengal Cabinet's approval of supernumerary positions in state-run schools. This decision is under scrutiny due to allegations that it was made to facilitate the hiring of 'tainted' individuals in exchange for money.

The opposition party, BJP, has indicated that if the Supreme Court lifts the previous interim stay on the CBI investigation, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee could also be implicated, as she leads the cabinet responsible for the controversial decision.

Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, remarked that Mamata Banerjee could become the second Indian chief minister to face imprisonment over an education-related scandal, following Haryana's Om Prakash Chautala.

In April 2024, a three-judge bench led by former Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud had temporarily halted a Calcutta High Court order that mandated the CBI to continue its investigation into the approval of these supernumerary posts.

The Calcutta High Court had previously noted that the CBI might need to conduct custodial interrogations of those involved in the case.

While the Supreme Court's stay provided temporary relief to the state Cabinet, the issue is scheduled for another hearing on Tuesday.

The Calcutta High Court had raised concerns about the legitimacy of the decision to create supernumerary posts, questioning its integrity.

Since the allegations emerged, the state government and the ruling Trinamool Congress have faced intense criticism from opposition parties, who argue that the decision was aimed at safeguarding the positions of corrupt individuals rather than supporting legitimate candidates.

Political analysts suggest that this hearing adds to the challenges faced by the state government and the ruling party, which are already under pressure following a recent Supreme Court ruling that annulled 25,753 teaching and non-teaching appointments in state-run schools.

Both the Supreme Court and the Calcutta High Court have stated that the cancellation of these appointments was due to the state's failure to distinguish between genuine candidates and those with questionable backgrounds.