Calcutta High Court. file | Photo Credit: PTI
MCases related to the West Bengal recruitment scam keep the Calcutta High Court busy even during the summer vacation. On May 22, a vacation bench of the court refused to grant an interim stay on the ongoing probe by central agencies into the alleged scam in the recruitment of staff in seven municipalities. Irregularities in recruitment by municipalities were detected by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate during their probe into an alleged scam in school jobs in the state. Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyaywho was hearing the school recruitment case Instructed central agencies to investigate Recruitment in municipalities on April 21
Since Trinamool Congress came to power for the third consecutive time In 2021, the Calcutta High Court is buzzing with cases that have dominated the political discourse of the state. From Matters relating to post-2021 election violence As far as Unrest in Bogtui village in March 2022 And this Ram Navami is in March-April 2023The court ruling The politics of the state has had a far-reaching impact.
In most cases related to political violence, killings and sexual harassment, the court has ruled against the state government. It has often underlined the need for investigation by central agencies or a special investigation team constituted by the court to restore the confidence of the people.
The setbacks to the state government have often led to clashes with the judiciary. The spokespersons of the ruling party have targeted the court, especially Justice Gangopadhyay. last September, Justice Gangopadhyay said in an interview He told a Bengali news channel that he was determined to root out the corruption that had surfaced in the matter of school jobs. Things took an ugly turn in March 2023 when posters against Justice Rajasekhar Mantha were put up in the court premises and near his residence. A three-judge bench of the High Court is conducting the hearing. a contempt petition to the point. Justice Mantha ordered several CBI probes into cases related to political violence, and granted protection to Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari from coercive action by the West Bengal Police.
While there can be debate around decisions, personal criticism of judges is a dangerous trend that can potentially interfere with the process of dispensation of justice. In some cases, cases involving political violence and irregularities have taken a long time. Also, not every court order is a political blow or a victory, as political parties make it out to be. Trinamool maintains political dominance in the state and the opposition cannot match it on the ground.
The courts have played an important role in the politically unstable state since 2006. From Singur land acquisition to Nandigram police firing and Netai murder case, the High Court has played an important role in providing justice. However, some politically sensitive cases such as the Saradha chit fund scam and the Narada sting video handed over to central agencies at the behest of the court are nowhere near their logical conclusion even after years of investigation. At present, violence in Kaliaganj and an explosion at an illegal firecracker factory in Purba Medinipur that resulted in the death of 11 people over an alleged recruitment scam are also registered.
Court battles of long-standing political significance have taken a different turn in the last two years as the battle between the Trinamool and the rising BJP is increasingly being fought in the courts. As a result, the orders and judgments of the High Court have come to dominate the political discourse in the state.
Staying the termination of jobs of nearly 32,000 primary teachers in state-run schools, a division bench of the High Court on May 19 said, “It is trifling that justice delayed is justice denied and, on the contrary, done in haste.” Justice is justice.” Buried.” The Bench, while ordering, also observed that termination of jobs without giving a meaningful right of redress to the affected parties, prima facie required judicial intervention.
As the investigation in the recruitment case gets intensified, there will be many orders and decisions which may go in favor of the ruling party or the opposition. But a fine balance will be needed between judicial activism and judicial restraint, apart from constructive criticism of judgments rather than targeting judges individually.