Calcutta HC bench to hear WBBPE recruitment scam case on April 28 after judge recusal

The Calcutta High Court has listed April 28 as the date for the first hearing of the primary teacher recruitment case before a new division bench headed by Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty. This comes after the previous bench, comprising Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das, was unable to conduct the scheduled hearing on April 7. Justice Sen recused himself from the matter on personal grounds, leading to the reassignment of the case.

Following the recusal, the matter was sent back to the office of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam. As per standard court procedure, the Chief Justice reassigned the case to a different division bench. The new bench, under Justice Chakraborty's leadership, is expected to begin proceedings from April 28, as reflected in the updated Calcutta High Court roster.

The case involves allegations of large-scale irregularities in the appointment process of nearly 32,000 primary school teachers by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE). These appointments were made across various government schools in the state. The legal challenge questions the transparency and legality of the recruitment process, with claims of manipulation in merit lists and violation of appointment norms. The case remains under judicial review, with the future of the appointed teachers pending the court’s final decision.