KOLKATA: Calcutta high Court Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who is in the crosshairs of the TMC for ordering federal agencies to probe at least 14 scam cases, on Sunday announced that he would resign from service on Tuesday to step into a bigger sphere and join politics. He also remarked that Bengal is presently witnessing Chaurya Samrajya (empire of thives).
“My inner soul tells me that my tenure as judge is over. Considering the interest of deprived people, who cannot come to knock the door of the judiciary, it is time to enter bigger sphere and serve politics. I will tender my resignation to the Chief Justice of India and the President of India on Tuesday,” said justice Gagopadhyay.
He also said he may join any of the Left parties, Congress or the BJP and even contest the coming Lok Sabha elections.
Gangopadhyay,62, is scheduled to retire after three months. He joined the high court as an additional judge in 2018 and was made a permanent judge in 2020. He was a West Bengal civil service officer but quit his job to become a lawyer a decade ago.
Justice Gangopadhyay “congratulated” the ruling TMC for his decision to resign.
“For passing several judgements, many in the ruling party made insulting comments against me. They even asked me to quit my chair and face them in the field of politics. I have finally made up my mind. I congratulate the ruling party for bringing me here. In history books, we have read about the Maurya Samrajya. Right now, we are witnessing Chaurya Samrajya in Bengal,” he said.
Justice Gangopadhyay, who often described CPI(M)’s veteran lawyer Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya as his mentor, came to Bengal’s political limelight in May, 2022, by ordering the CBI to probe irregularities in recruitment of non-teaching staff (Group C and D) and teaching staff by the education department between 2014 and 2021. The appointment was allegedly given in exchange of bribe to those who failed to qualify selection tests.
Conducting a parallel probe ordered by justice Gangopadhyay, the ED arrested former education minister Partha Chattarjee and his close aide Arpita Mukherjee in July, 2022 in connection with the recruitment irregularities. In the chargesheet, the federal agency cash, jewellery and immovable properties woth more than Rs 100 crore linked to Chatterjee and Arpita.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who is the TMC’ second-in-command, and his wife were interrogated by the central agency in connection with the alleged recruitment scam.
In April, 2023, Gangopadhyay also ordered CBI probe into alleged recruitment scam in civic bodies.
There was a strong buzz doing the rounds that he may join the BJP and the saffron camp may field from a seat in Kolkata or East Midnapore. “I will reply all your questions below the statue of freedom fighter Surya Sen at the high court building at 1.30 pm on Tuesday,” justice Gangopadhyay said.