The Calcutta High Court has dismissed a petition filed by a group of candidates declared "tainted ineligible" in the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment case. The court refused to interfere with the list published by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) in compliance with the Supreme Court's order.

The WBSSC had published a list of 1,806 "tainted ineligible" candidates as per the Supreme Court's directive. These candidates, according to the order, are barred from participating in the upcoming SSC recruitment examinations scheduled for September 7 and 14.

Following the publication of the list, over 350 of these candidates approached the Calcutta High Court, questioning the basis on which they were deemed "tainted". They filed a petition seeking permission to appear in the exams. Advocates representing the petitioners argued that their clients did not fall under the categories previously identified by the High Court's Division Bench as ineligible, such as those who submitted blank answer sheets or secured jobs through irregular panels. They contended that their clients had answered at least one question and should not be disqualified.

However, the High Court, led by Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya, reprimanded the petitioners for their delayed approach to the court. Justice Bhattacharyya questioned their silence until the list's publication, stating, "Where were you all this while? The moment the list is published, you rush to court". He further added, "Enough is enough! How can you say that the 'tainted ineligibles' are not ineligible after publishing the list in compliance with the Supreme Court's order?".

Senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee, representing the SSC, maintained that all petitioners were indeed "tainted ineligible," asserting that they had manipulated their OMR sheets. He stated that the CBI's investigation provided the list, which was then cross-checked, revealing that these candidates had secured jobs by manipulating their ranks.

The court also addressed the argument regarding the issuance of admit cards to the candidates, with the petitioners' counsel questioning why they were allowed to download admit cards if they were deemed unfit. Banerjee reiterated that the CBI's findings had established large-scale tampering with OMR sheets.

The Calcutta High Court's decision underscores its stance on the integrity of the SSC recruitment process and its commitment to adhering to the Supreme Court's directives. The court has made it clear that it will not interfere with the list of "tainted ineligible" candidates and will not allow them to participate in the upcoming recruitment examinations. The court noted the case is pending in the Supreme Court and therefore the High Court will not interfere. The judge remarked, "There is a limit to everything,” adding that it was not possible for the High Court to examine the documents of over 1,800 candidates.

The Supreme Court had directed the SSC to make public the details of tainted candidates. The Commission complied, releasing the names, roll numbers, and serial numbers of 1,804 candidates. Admit cards for several affected candidates for upcoming selection tests have been cancelled.