A Calcutta High Court judge on Thursday allowed journalists to record videos of the proceedings in a case related to the hiring of Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal’s daughter as a primary school teacher despite not being qualified, India Today reported.
Mondal, the party’s Birbhum district president, is currently in the Central Bureau of Investigation’s custody in an alleged cattle smuggling case. On March 29, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court also refused him protection from arrest.
The judge, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, was hearing a petition filed by West Bengal resident Soumen Nandi alleging that Mondal’s daughter Sukanya got the job in 2012 even though she had not passed the Teacher Eligibility Test, The Times of India reported.
Nandi made also five other persons, claiming that they got jobs as they were close to the Trinamool Congress leader. Justice Gangopadhyay had directed all six persons to be present before the court at 3 pm on Thursday.
When the hearing started, the judge told the courtroom that he would allow journalists to film proceedings of the case. “I request that the proceedings not be live streamed on Facebook or anywhere similar but the reporters are encouraged to keep a video record of the proceedings today,” he said, according to India Today.
Several lawyers objected to Justice Gangopadhyay’s statement, and one advocate urged the judge not to turn the courtroom “into a bazaar”. However, the judge stayed firm on his decision.
All six persons were summoned before the court with their Teacher Eligibility Test certificates and appointment leaders. The court then stated in its order that the summons against them stood withdrawn.
The case has been listed for hearing on September 1.
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