Supreme Court Advises Against Politicizing Judicial Matters

On Monday, the Supreme Court of India addressed a plea for criminal contempt against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The case arose from her comments on a verdict related to the teachers’ recruitment scam. The court emphasized the importance of keeping political battles separate from judicial proceedings. A bench led by Chief Justice BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran advised, “Please fight your political battle outside this court.”

Details of the Contempt Plea

The plea was filed by Aatmdeep, a public charitable trust, which claimed that Banerjee’s remarks undermined the judiciary’s authority following a Supreme Court decision. This decision upheld a Calcutta High Court ruling that invalidated nearly 25,000 appointments made by the West Bengal School Service Commission in 2016 due to fraudulent practices.

Petitioner’s Request and Court’s Response

Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing the petitioner, requested the bench to defer the hearing. He mentioned that a request had been sent to the Attorney General seeking consent to initiate criminal contempt proceedings. However, Chief Justice Gavai cautioned against assuming consent would be granted and reiterated the need to avoid politicizing court proceedings.

Next Steps in the Legal Process

The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing for four weeks later. This timeline allows for further developments regarding the Attorney General’s decision on granting consent for contempt proceedings.

Background on the Recruitment Scam Case

The controversy stems from an April ruling where the Supreme Court agreed with the Calcutta High Court’s findings of fraud in the recruitment process conducted by the West Bengal School Service Commission. The invalidation of these appointments has significant implications for those affected and highlights ongoing concerns about transparency and fairness in public sector hiring.