Teachers' recruitment scam: In connection with the teachers' recruitment scam case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) summoned TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee for questioning on Tuesday (April 18). According to reports, the summon was hand-delivered to the TMC leader after two hours Supreme Court stayed a High Court order for his interrogation.
Meanwhile, Banerjee termed the CBI's action as "contempt of court." "SC stayed the Calcutta HC's order in the morning that granted permission to the central agencies to summon me. Yet, the ‘SUMMON’ was HAND-DELIVERED today at 1:45 pm Grave State of affairs!," he wrote on Twitter.
SC had stayed High Court's order
A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala, which decided to hear the plea on April 24, had stayed the direction of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the High Court that TMC leader Banerjee and Kuntal Ghosh, an accused in the case, can be questioned by the ED and the CBI, and such "interrogation should be made soon."
"The petition was in the mentioning list. Dr AM Singhvi has adverted to the contents of the order and the directions passed by which the ED and CBI have been directed to file a report with respect to a probe in connection with a public speech by Abhishek Banerjee. List on April 24, 2023. Till the next date of listing, there shall be a stay on all action against petitioner in relation to the directions passed in the impugned order," the apex court had ordered.
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Calcutta High Court's ruling
Earlier on April 13, the Calcutta High Court had passed a slew of directions, asking the police not to lodge FIRs on complaints against officers of the CBI or the ED who are investigating the educational recruitment scam of the West Bengal Central School Service Commission and the West Bengal Board of Primary Education without its permission.
It had asked the central agencies to probe the role of state TMC leaders in the case.
It should be mentioned here that the top court also stayed the order of Justice Gangopadhyay's April 13 order directing the West Bengal police not to lodge any FIR against CBI and Enforcement Directorate officers probing the school jobs-for-bribes scam.
(With PTI inputs)
