SC stays Calcutta HC order directing CBI probe against Manik Bhattacharya in recruitment case
Aug 03, 2023
New Delhi [India], August 3 : The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the Calcutta High Court order directing CBI to question TMC leader Manik Bhattacharya in a matter pertaining to teacher recruitment irregularities in West Bengal.
A bench of justices AS Bopanna and Sanjay Kumar passed the interim order.
Former chairman of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education Manik Bhattacharya has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta HC order directing CBI to question him.
The matter pertains to alleged irregularities in government-run schools being probed by the CBI.
The court noticed that the HC orders of July 25 and 26 pointed out that despite the petitioner Manik Bhattacharya not being a party to the said writ petition, certain adverse orders are passed against the petitioner without the opportunity of hearing the petitioner.
The court noted that such an order would also include interrogation against the petitioner by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the very manner in which the investigation would be made is also regulated by the learned Judge.
Further, it is pointed out that the direction in the order of 26 July would also indicate that in the process of such investigation, the same is to be videographed and the videograph of the same is to be produced to the Court which would be viewed today in the presence of others, the top court noted.
"In a matter of the present nature, when it is evident that the petitioner is not a party to the said writ proceedings and certain orders have been made to his detriment, in any event, before this Court ultimately decides the said matter no further prejudice shall be caused to the petitioner. In that view, the orders dated July 25 and 26 and further proceedings thereto shall remain stayed," the court said.
