A Calcutta High Court division bench comprising Justices Harish Tandon and Rabindranath Samanta today stayed for three weeks a single bench order of CBI probe into the alleged job scam of Group D employees by the West Bengal Central School Service Comission.

The documents which were to be handed over to CBI today by CSSC and West Bengal Board of Secondary Education were instead directed to be given to Registrar General. The documents are to be kept in a sealed cover. Earlier, appearing for the petitioner, Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya had expressed apprehension that documents could be tampered as was seen in the
Saradha chit fund case.

Along with state government, the commission and the board had challenged the single bench order of CBI enquiry. Advocate general, SN Mookherjee questioned the CBI enquiry order and submitted that the petitioner has not raised any charge of bias against the state police. So a police inaction plea is not behind the CBI investigation order.

No complaint was lodged with the police on this matter, it was submitted. So no questions have been raised about efficiency of the police, it was said. Unlike the board and the commission, state government was not given an opportunity of giving an affidavit. The thin difference between an enquiry and a CBI investigation has not been made.

The Supreme Court did not order a CBI probe after the violence at Lakhimpur Kheri, it was submitted, adding that the Uttar Pradesh government was directed to form an SIT. The matter will be heard next on 29 November

Meanwhile, SFI and DYFI youth activists clashed with the police, on Wednesday, who stopped their rally to West Bengal Central School Service Commission’s office protesting against the alleged corruption by state government in SSC recruitment of Group D staff.

The clash took place at Karunamoyee, Salt Lake when the police resisted the youth activists from reaching the commission’s office and the situation escalated into a scuffle as activists attempted to escape police barricades. Many, including DYFI leader Minakshi Mukherjee pushed past the barricades but was soon caught by the women police. The youth activists alleged “police brutality” in the way they were “manhandled”.

Police have arrested many and Mukherjee along with other DYFI members began a sit-in demonstration right at the spot where the police blocked the rally. The activists demanded the resignation of the state education minister Bratya Basu for alleged corruption.

SFI Bengal secretary Srijan Bhattacharya alleged that the chief minister Mamata Banerjee-led state government is plagued by “corruption” while their practice of “cut-money” has put the future of several SSC candidates in peril as those close to TMC are offered jobs and merit ignored, he alleged.

Srijan said despite the corruption in SSC recruitment coming to the fore through the state government’s reply to the Calcutta High Court the malpractices in the recruitment process continue. Mukherjee, DYFI leader, said that state government’s corruption and nepotism has put the lives of candidates in jeopardy.