Kolkata, September 22, 2023 – Deputy Solicitor General (DSG) of India, Billawadal Bhattacharyya, appointed by the Calcutta High Court to inspect St. Augustine’s Day School following the suspension of its affiliation, has alleged an attempt to bribe him during the inspection. The school’s affiliation with the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) was suspended in September 2022.
In a dramatic turn of events, DSG Bhattacharyya revealed his encounter with bribery attempts on Thursday as he reported his findings to the court. At least 76 students from Class X of the school had filed a petition against the school for failing to register them with the CISCE due to the affiliation suspension.
The Calcutta High Court, on September 13, criticized the school for continuing to collect registration fees from students even after the suspension of affiliation. The court had subsequently appointed DSG Bhattacharyya to verify the number and particulars of bona fide Class X students.
During the recent hearing, Bhattacharyya informed the court about his visit to the school and mentioned the attempts to influence him. When asked if the attempt was by the school, he responded, “Must be… forgetting the fact that lawyers are not up for sale.”
Justice Biswajit Basu, presiding over the case, warned that criminal proceedings would be initiated against those responsible for the bribery attempt. The court directed Bhattacharyya to specify the names of the individuals involved and submit them in a sealed cover. Bhattacharyya also mentioned having saved screenshots of the phone call he received.
Senior Advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, representing the school, sought permission to withdraw from the case upon learning of the bribery allegations.
The court concluded the hearing by instructing the petitioners’ counsel to provide relevant documents to the special officer to confirm the students’ bona fide status. The case is set to resume on October 4.
News Summary:
- Deputy Solicitor General Billawadal Bhattacharyya alleges an attempt to bribe him during an inspection of St. Augustine’s Day School, Kolkata, following the suspension of its affiliation with CISCE.
- Calcutta High Court had previously criticized the school for collecting registration fees despite the affiliation suspension.
- Bhattacharyya reports his encounter with bribery attempts during a court hearing, prompting Justice Basu to threaten criminal proceedings against those responsible.
- Senior Advocate representing the school requests permission to withdraw from the case.
- The court instructs petitioners to provide relevant documents for student verification, with the case scheduled to resume on October 4.