School jobs scam: Supreme Court stays high court order

A vacation bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and PS Narasimha lists for hearing in July Banerjee’s plea against the high court’s May 18 order

• The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Calcutta High Court order, which imposed a cost of Rs 25 lakh on Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee while dismissing his plea in connection with the school jobs scam case.

• A vacation bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and PS Narasimha listed for hearing in July Banerjee’s plea against the high court’s May 18 order dismissing a petition filed by him seeking recall of a previous order of the high court which said probe agencies such as the CBI and ED could interrogate him in the case.

• “Re-list in the week commencing July 10. Till the next date of listing, the imposition of the cost part by the impugned order shall remain stayed,” the bench said.

• Banerjee, who was on May 20 questioned for over nine hours by the CBI in connection with the probe into the case, has sought the apex court direction that no coercive steps be taken against him by the agency.

• The TMC leader’s name cropped up in a complaint filed by Kuntal Ghosh, a local businessman and an accused in the school jobs scam, where he alleged that central investigating agencies were pressing him to name Banerjee, who is the general secretary of the TMC, in the case.

• The agency’s summons came within 24 hours of the Calcutta High Court dismissing a petition filed by Banerjee seeking recall of a previous court order, which said probe agencies such as the CBI and ED could interrogate him in the teacher recruitment scam case.

Source: The Tribune