“Systematic Fraud”: SC Blasts Bengal Govt Over Recruitment Scam, Calls for Accountability

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday termed the alleged recruitment scam in West Bengal as a “systemic fraud”.

The apex court emphasized that authorities have a duty to maintain digitised records related to the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff.

A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, alongside Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, heard petitions challenging the Calcutta High Court’s recent decision invalidating the appointments in state-run and state-aided schools.

Highlighting the gravity of the situation, the Chief Justice stressed the scarcity of public jobs and the importance of maintaining public trust. He described the situation as a systemic fraud, which could undermine public faith.

The bench questioned the state government’s failure to produce adequate data and emphasized the importance of maintaining digitised records. It pointed out the lack of supervisory control over data maintenance.

The state government had challenged the High Court’s decision, labelling it as arbitrary.