On Wednesday, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court took a significant legal step by issuing an interim stay on a prior order from a single bench. The earlier directive had instructed the West Bengal Board of Primary Education to furnish a district-wise panel of candidates for various school jobs within the state. It’s worth noting that this decision comes in the context of an ongoing investigation into a school jobs scam.

Importantly, the division bench, presided over by Justice Soumen Sen and also including Justice Uday Kumar, clarified that this stay does not hinder the ongoing investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the matter.

The initial order from the single bench, led by Justice Amrita Sinha, had specifically mandated the state’s primary education board to present a district-wise panel of candidates related to the recruitment process for the year 2016. In response, the primary education board contested this order, arguing that its existing rules do not encompass the provision for producing a district-wise panel.

In light of the complexity and legal nuances involved, the division bench decided to temporarily halt the enforcement of the single bench order. This pause allows for a more thorough examination of the legal arguments and implications surrounding the production of a district-wise panel in the context of the alleged irregularities in the 2016 recruitment process.

To ensure fairness and due process, the division bench has scheduled a subsequent hearing on January 4, during which further deliberations on the matter will take place. This development adds another layer of significance to the ongoing legal proceedings related to the school jobs scam, highlighting the complexities involved in addressing issues of transparency and fairness in recruitment processes within the education system.

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