SC transfers to itself pleas related to caste certificate scam in Bengal

The Supreme Court on Monday transferred to itself pleas related to a tussle between two benches of the Calcutta High Court over the issue of a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in issuance of caste certificates to candidates aspiring for reserved category seats.

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said it has decided to transfer all the cases related to the issue to itself and directed completion of pleadings in a period of three weeks.

We will list the pleas exactly after three weeks, said the bench which also comprised justices Sanjiv Khanna, B R Gavai, Surya Kant and Aniruddha Bose.

The top court bench had earlier sat on a holiday on January 27 to address the dispute where a defiant judge overruled an order of a division bench that had quashed his direction for a CBI probe and asked the central agency to go ahead with the investigation.

In a bid to resolve a piquant judicial situation, the bench on Saturday had decided to "take charge" and stay all proceedings in a tussle between the two benches of the Calcutta High Court over institution of a CBI investigation into the alleged irregularities.

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay had accused brother judge Soumen Sen of the division bench of pandering to the interests of West Bengal's ruling party to overrule his order for a CBI probe.