Teacher recruitment scam: HC extends stay on single- bench order summoning Bengal minister to appear before CBI

Kolkata: In a temporary relief to senior West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court Wednesday extended a stay for four weeks on an earlier order that directed him to appear before the CBI in connection with a petition alleging irregularities in the appointment of assistant teachers in state government-aided schools.

The division bench comprising Justices Subrata Talukder and A K Mukherjee also refused to accept the resignation of Justice (retired) R K Bag from the chairmanship of a committee appointed earlier by another division bench of the court to inquire into the allegations and requested it to complete investigation in Group C-post appointments.

The panel has already submitted its report on the probe into Group-D appointments.

The bench directed that the stay granted by it on an order of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay that asked Partha Chatterjee to appear before the CBI by Tuesday evening will continue for four weeks from Wednesday.

The bench also directed the Bag Committee to submit its report by May 13, when the matter will come up for hearing again.

Chatterjee was the state education minister when the alleged appointments were made.