West Bengal Teachers' Recruitment Scam: SC Holds Extraordinary Hearing at 8 PM, Overturning Decision of Acting Chief Judge of Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court Judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay's order to the SC Secretary-General to produce the transcripts of his interview by midnight today was stayed by the Supreme Court on Friday during an unusual 8 p.m. session. At 8 o'clock, the SC convened a special session to consider the order made against the Supreme Court's Secretary General by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court.

Judge Gangopadhyay had earlier instructed the Supreme Court Secretary-General to deliver the transcript of his interview to him by midnight. The top court's panel stated that Judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay's decision to the SC Secretary General was inappropriate and against judicial discipline while staying it. Judge Gangopadhyay shall be informed of the Supreme Court's decision, the bench of Justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli's Secretary General was instructed to do.

Considering the judicial discipline, the current order shouldn't have been made in a legal action. The High Court judge's decision in the suo motu case is hereby stayed. We direct the Supreme Court's secretary general to immediately deliver this order to the registrar general of the Calcutta High Court, who will thereafter deliver it to the judge of the High Court, the apex court stated in its ruling.

After reading the transcript of Justice Gangopadhyay's conversation with a news outlet about Abhishek Banerjee's alleged involvement in the "Cash for Job" scam, the SC bench led by CJI Chandrachud had removed him from the case's proceedings earlier in the day. The SC court also ordered the Calcutta High Court's acting Chief Justice to designate a different bench to hear the case.
After reviewing a report on Justice Gangopadhyay's discussion of the case with a television station, the upper courts reached their conclusion. Significantly, the subject of the interview was Abhishek Banerjee's suspected involvement in the West Bengal teacher's job scandal.

Considering Banerjee's argument, a bench made up of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha noted the Registrar General of the Calcutta High Court's report and ruled that the matter needed to be transferred to a bench presided over by a different judge.