In a big setback to the Trinamool Congress government, the Calcutta High Court, on April 21, cancelled all appointments of teaching, and non-teaching staff through the 2016 state-level test in the West Bengal government-sponsored and aided secondary and higher secondary schools.

"The CBI to conduct further probe in 2016 selection irregularities in West Bengal school jobs," said the court.

The Calcutta High Court declared the entire School Service Commission recruitment panel of 2016, "null and void". All appointments from 9th to 12th and groups C and D where irregularities were found have also been declared null and void.

The court has instructed the administration to take action on fresh appointments in the next 15 days.

Around 2.3 million candidates had appeared for the 2016 exam for 24,640 vacant posts in the state, according to reports. Firdaus Shamim, a lawyer for some of the petitioners, said that a total of 25,753 appointment letters were issued against the vacancies.

The court pronouced its judgement after hearing petitions and appeals relating to alleged irregularities in the selection of candidates in the 2016 recruitment process. A division bench, formed by the Chief Justice of the High Court at the direction of the Supreme Court, was hearing the matter. The hearing in the matter was concluded on March 20 and judgement was reserved by the division bench.

The West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) teacher recruitment scam came to light after the arrest of Bengal BJP leader Partha Chatterjee, a Trinamool Congress leader who served as the education minister in Mamata Banerjee's cabinet until his arrest on July 23, 2022.Earlier on February 16, a team of the Enforcement Directorate conducted raids on close associates of Partha Chatterjee in Kolkata.

Chatterjee was arrested after Rs 21 crore in cash and jewellery worth above Rs 1 crore was recovered from the Kolkata residence of Arpita Mukherjee, a close aide of the former education minister. Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee, are facing a probe into the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam.

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