SC observation vindicates our stand on HC judge: TMC

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh on Monday tweeted that the Supreme Court had sought a report from the Calcutta High Court’s Registrar General on whether Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay gave an interview to a news channel allegedly about a case pending before him, and commented in Bengali “this is what we have been saying for so long.

The BJP, however, said TMC should not feel elated over a purely judicial matter as the ongoing probe into the school job scam is in progress.

Also Read: CBI searches TMC MLA's residence in Bengal in school jobs 'scam' probe

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandachud and Justice P S Narasimha earlier in the day took strong note of the purported interview given by Justice Gangopadhyay to a news channel allegedly about the case, and verbally observed “A judge has no business to give an interview about pending cases.”

"The petitioner (TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee) has annexed a translated transcript of an interview of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay on a TV Channel ABP Ananda. The Registrar General of Calcutta High Court is directed to clarify from the judge as to whether he had been interviewed by... of the news channel. The Registrar General is directed to file his affidavit before this court on or before Thursday. We will list it on Friday,” the bench said.

Ghosh tweeted in English "AB's matter in SC: direction given to Registrar, HC to verify from Abhijit Ganguly if he has given an interview to TV and file an affidavit by Friday. SC Observed that if he has given interview regarding pending matter before him, he has no right to continue hearing the same."

Another tweet of Ghosh in Bengali said "we have been already flagging the same issue.”

BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said the apex court has made certain observations which should not make Ghosh, the Trinamool Congress state general secretary, "euphoric as less than 20 per cent of the mountain of corruption in TMC rule” has been exposed.

The high court was hearing a petition related to alleged irregularities in recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools.