Kolkata, Nov 10 (IANS): The Calcutta High Court on Thursday upheld the right to peaceful agitation and demonstration against the teachers' recruitment scam in West Bengal.

Those deprived of appointment letters, despite clearing the qualifying examinations, had appealed to the high court for protection of their right to agitate peacefully under the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Mayo Road in central Kolkata.

A single-judge bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha upheld their rights on this account and allowed them to conduct peaceful demonstrations at that spot for 40 days.

He ordered that on receiving the copy of his verdict, the agitators will approach the Kolkata Police headquarters along with the copy. There the police and agitators will mutually decide on the date when the peaceful demonstration will start.

In September, Justice Mantha had allowed the agitators to conduct peaceful demonstrations for five days starting from September 16. After the expiry of the deadline, the police removed the protesters from the spot.

After that the protesters made a fresh petition before Justice Mantha's bench to continue with their agitation. In the petition, they alleged that the police are restraining them again and again from conducting peaceful demonstrations.