In Judge vs Judge, Supreme Court Stays Calcutta High Court Proceedings

Supreme Court today stayed Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay's order seeking a CBI probe into medical admissions in Bengal. The matter is about alleged irregularities in the issuance of reserved category certificates and admission of MBBS candidates in state-run medical colleges and hospitals in West Bengal.

In an unprecedented instance, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay accused his colleague, Justice Soumen Sen who presided over a division bench that stayed a single-judge order for a CBI probe into medical admission irregularities, of working for a political party.

A five-judge constitution bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud and justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, Surya Kant and Aniruddha Bose heard the matter today. The bench issued a notice to the West Bengal government and the original petitioner in the case.

It also stayed the orders passed by the single-judge bench and the division bench in the matter.

"We will take this up on Monday, took this up now to pass this order. We have taken charge now," the bench said.

A single-judge bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay on Thursday held that the order passed by the division bench of Justices Soumen Sen and Uday Kumar as wholly illegal and has to be ignored.

Initially, the single bench had directed a CBI investigation saying it had no faith in the state police on a plea filed by MBBS candidate Itisha Soren alleging irregularities in the admissions of candidates in medical colleges and hospitals under the reservation category.