Kolkata: In a major relief for nearly 32,000 primary school teachers across West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday set aside a previous order that had cancelled their appointments in connection with the alleged TET recruitment scam.
A division bench comprising Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Reetobroto Kumar Mitra overturned the 2023 judgment issued by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay — who is now a BJP MP. The bench observed that a limited group of unsuccessful candidates could not be allowed to “damage the entire system” by casting doubts over the entire recruitment process.
While the court acknowledged that there might have been a “possibility of systemic malice,” it clarified that a detailed assessment of the data did not substantiate such allegations. It further stressed the serious consequences of abruptly terminating the services of thousands of teachers after nearly a decade of work.
“A job taken away after 9 years of service would cause insurmountable difficulty,” the bench remarked.
Background of the Case
In 2023, Justice Gangopadhyay had scrapped the appointment of the 32,000 teachers, citing the absence of aptitude tests for candidates and allegations that officials had sold teaching posts during the TET 2014 recruitment.
However, the division bench said the judiciary cannot conduct an open-ended probe in an attempt to eliminate every hypothetical doubt.
“There is a difference between a proven case of mass cheating and unproven charges of corruption,” the judges stated. “If services are terminated on grounds of aiding corruption, courts must first satisfy themselves of the correctness of such allegations.”
Government Welcomes Decision
Reacting to the verdict, West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu expressed strong satisfaction and congratulated the teachers whose futures had been uncertain for over a year.
“The jobs of 32,000 primary school teachers remain fully secure. My best wishes to the teachers. Truth has triumphed,” Basu said.
The ruling has brought relief not only to the teachers and their families but has also become a political talking point in the state, especially amid an escalating BJP-TMC confrontation over alleged corruption in recruitment.