Justice Gangopadhyay Resigns: High Court Judge Transfers 14 Cases to CBI, ED; May Contest Lok Sabha from Mamata’s Stronghold

Kolkata High Court Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay tendered his resignation on Tuesday. He submitted his resignation to the President, Chief Justice of India, and the Chief Justice of the High Court. Justice Gangopadhyay stated that he has completed his tenure as a judge and now seeks to explore a new role. 

He is set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on March 7 and might contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Medinipur constituency. The decision follows his resignation amidst controversy surrounding the transfer of 14 cases against the Mamata Banerjee government to the CBI and ED in the last two years. 

His move to the BJP has drawn criticism from the Trinamool Congress, especially after his directives led to the exposure of corruption in the state’s largest teacher recruitment scandal. This comes in the wake of former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and a dozen other leaders facing jail time. Justice Gangopadhyay’s significant orders, including those exposing rampant corruption, were highlighted in the High Court’s annual report published in September 2023.

Controversies Surrounding Resignation of 36,000 Jobs, Including Minister’s Daughter

Justice Gangopadhyay of the judiciary had been hearing the continuous case of the teacher recruitment scandal since January 30, 2021, until January 30, 2024. On May 18, 2022, Minister Partha was summoned by the CBI and caught by the ED. On June 20, 2022, Manik Bhattacharya, the chairman of the Primary Education Board, was summoned by the CBI and caught in October. On February 2, 2023, in the teacher recruitment case, two CBI officers were accused of submitting false affidavits to the court. 

On February 10, 2000, Group D, on March 10, Group C, 785 employees, and on May 16, more than 30,000 teachers were dismissed. Minister Paresh’s daughter, Ankita, was also included. They demanded the entire salary back. Shubhendu Adhikari was trapped in the Narada sting operation. 

At that time, he was with the Trinamool. Later, Shubhendu joined the BJP. On Tuesday, Gangopadhyay dismissed this sting as a conspiracy. He was interviewed on September 2022 for his post as a High Court judge, where questions were raised about his alleged involvement in Mamata Banerjee’s nephew’s recruitment scandal.