Cal HC refuses interim stay on CBI probe in Bengal municipal recruitment case

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Monday refused to put an interim stay on the previous order by a bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in the alleged recruitment scam in the different municipalities in the State.

The order was passed by a single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha. The Supreme Court had earlier put an interim stay on the order by Justice Gangopadhyay for a CBI probe in the municipalities recruitment scam, which Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths allegedly unearthed during their course of investigation in the alleged recruitment scam in State-run schools. The apex court had also referred the matter back to the Calcutta High Court.

Meanwhile, West Bengal had made a fresh appeal to Justice Sinha’s bench for reconsideration of the order for CBI probe in the alleged recruitment scam in urban civic bodies and this was heard on Monday. State Advocate-General S.N. Mukhopadhyay argued that since law and order was a State subject, the State agencies should be given the opportunity in this particular case instead of handing it over to a central agency without giving a chance to the State agencies.

“The CBI order was given on the basis of an appeal from the ED by the previous single- judge bench which did not have the jurisdiction of the matter. So, the ED’s appeal on this count should not be admissible at any cost,” he argued. The ED’s counsel argued that since scam in municipalities recruitment surfaced during the course of investigation on scam in recruitments in state-run schools, the agency informed that particular single-judge bench in the matter. The CBI’s counsel argued that since the agency has already filed an FIR on this matter, an interim stay will mean that it will have to start a fresh case. “The State Government’s appeal for review of the previous bench order is not admissible. There are charges of involvement of Government officials in the matter. So where is the problem in the CBI probe in the case?” the CBI counsel argued.

Finally, after hearing both sides, Justice Singh refused to grant an interim stay on the CBI probe in the matter