LUCKNOW: A division bench of the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday stayed the order for a CBI probe into a recruitment scam concerning the appointment of 68,500 assistant teachers in Uttar Pradesh.
A single judge bench, comprising Justice Irshad Ali of Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court, had in November ordered a CBI probe into the scam.
Justice Ali had directed the CBI to probe the alleged irregularities in the selection of 68,500 assistant teachers for primary schools through an Assistant Teachers Recruitment Examination held in May 2018.
The court had also directed that authorities take action according to law against the erring officials.
The state government had challenged the single bench order seeking a stay on the CBI probe.
Passing the stay order, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Manish Mathur fixed December 21 as the date to pronounce the verdict on the government’s appeal.
The petitioner, a candidate Sonika Devi, had alleged that answer sheets had been changed; undue favours were given to some candidates known to officials owing to which the fairness of the selection proceedings was questioned.
Earlier, the single bench had also directed the CBI to probe the role of the officials and authorities of the education department in the scam. The court had also asked the CBI to wind up the probe within six months.
However, the court had to pass the order for a probe after Advocate General Raghvendra Singh had submitted that the state government was not ready for CBI inquiry in the matter.
Scam at a glance:
The recruitment scam concerns the appointment of 68,500 teachers in UP.
A single judge bench had ordered a CBI probe.
Court had asked the authorities to take action against the guilty.