Calcutta High Court judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, whose judgments have sparked political debate on various education-related issues in the state, said he will resign from his post on Tuesday, March 4.
Justice Gangopadhyay shared his intention to join politics and said, “Only the political field can give an opportunity to those who are willing to step up in respect of those helpless people to work for them…”
Speaking to the media, Gangopadhyay said that for the last two years, he has been dealing with “huge corruption”, especially in the education sector.
Justice Gangopadhyay said, “I will resign from the post of judge of Calcutta High Court on Tuesday.”
The Calcutta High Court judge is due to retire at the end of this year, and has said he will submit his resignation to the President of India in the early hours of Tuesday. Copies of his resignation will be sent to the Chief Justice of India and the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court.
“I will resign from the post of judge in the High Court of Calcutta. For the last two or more years I have been dealing with certain matters, especially matters of education, in respect of which a huge corruption has been discovered and exposed. Justice Gangopadhyay said, a large number of important persons in the education sector of this government are now in jail, cases are pending.
He also claimed that “big employer scams” are going on in West Bengal, especially in provident fund gratuity. “I have passed some orders in this regard. But I have failed to address labour, labor law matters.”
Justice Gangopadhyay said, “Now I must go to the bigger people.” There are a large number of very helpless people.”
Justice Gangopadhyay, known for his prompt directions, sometimes mandating compliance within hours, has won appreciation from various sections of the society, especially aspirants seeking school jobs.
He has issued several directions directing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to investigate allegations of irregularities in the recruitment processes of teaching and non-teaching staff in schools sponsored and aided by the West Bengal government.
However, his comments on specific matters have also sparked discontent among some leaders of the ruling party in the state.
Following a dispute between his single bench and a division bench of the High Court over a CBI probe into the alleged scam in issuing caste certificates to candidates seeking reserved category MBBS seats in West Bengal, the Supreme Court had intervened in January and Had transferred. All petitions related to the case itself.
Gangopadhyay, who was on leave for the past one week due to personal reasons, said his resignation would be effective from the moment it was sent to the President.
He said that after submitting his resignation, he will answer all the questions of the journalists in front of the statue of great freedom fighter Master Da Surya Sen in front of the High Court buildings at 1:30 pm on Tuesday.
Justice Gangopadhyay, a practicing High Court lawyer, joined the Calcutta High Court as an additional judge on May 2, 2018. According to data on the high court website, he was elevated as a permanent judge on July 30, 2020.
,With inputs from PTI,
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Published: March 03, 2024, 10:55 PM IST
