SC seeks report on Calcutta HC judge's alleged interview on Bengal job scam to media

By  India Blooms News Service   Apr 24, 2023

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has sought a report from the Registrar General of the Calcutta High Court on whether Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay gave an interview to a news channel about the case related to the school recruitment scam in West Bengal.

Taking note of the alleged interview given by Justice Gangopadhyay to a news channel about the case, Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud observed that judges have no business giving interviews on sub-judice matters.

A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha was hearing a petition filed by TMC chief Mamata Banerjees nephew and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee.

Referring to a translated transcript of an interview of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay on a TV Channel ABP Ananda annexed by Abhishek Banerjee, Justice Chandrachud directed the Registrar General of the Calcutta High Court to file an affidavit with an explanation by Thursday from the concerned judge whether he had been interviewed by... of the news channel. The matter will be listed on Friday, he added.

Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, who was representing the central probe agencies, told the court it could potentially stall the investigation, the SC bench stated that if the judge should not be giving an interview about the ongoing case.

The top court said its order will not come in the way of the ongoing investigation by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the alleged scam.