Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court has been embroiled in controversies surrounding the handling of judgments related to the West Bengal school jobs scam. His appeals to the Chief Justices of both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court regarding the stay on his judgments shed light on alleged attempts to influence the judicial process.
In a written administrative directive, Justice Gangopadhyay revealed that a lawyer representing an influential politician had approached him regarding cases related to the scam. This revelation led to recusals from five different division benches of the Calcutta High Court.
The Supreme Court intervened by staying Justice Gangopadhyay’s order to produce documents related to a case reassigned to itself, following a plea by Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee. The CJI Bench subsequently directed the transfer of the case from Justice Gangopadhyay to another judge.
Justice Gangopadhyay’s background as a lawyer specializing in education-related cases, particularly those involving the West Bengal School Service Commission, adds context to his involvement in the school jobs scam cases. As a judge, he had directed investigations by the CBI in multiple cases and urged expeditious action against the alleged perpetrators.
Despite facing challenges and controversies, Justice Gangopadhyay’s commitment to uncovering the truth in the recruitment scam underscores the importance of judicial independence and integrity in upholding the rule of law.
