Kolkata, Feb 16 (IANS): The Group D non-teaching staff in different state run schools in West Bengal on Thursday heaved a temporary sigh of relief after the Calcutta High Court had put an interim stay on an earlier order by a single-judge bench ordering return of salary already received by them.

However, the division bench of Justice Subrata Talukdar and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya did not put any stay on the bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay's main order on termination of services of these non-teaching staff, while staying the order's portion for return of salary till March 3, when the matter will be heard again by it.

It was also silent on that portion of the order by the single-judge bench barring the illegally appointed candidates from appearing for any future examination for any state government job.

On February 10, following an order of Justice Gangopadhyay, the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) started the process of terminating the services of 1,911 non-teaching staff who illegally got appointments in different state-run schools. In that order, he also directed that these terminated staff will have to return the salary paid to them so far in phases.

The terminated staff on February 13 approached the division bench challenging the single-judge bench's order.

On Wednesday, counsel for the terminated staff claimed that their clients were guillotined without getting a proper opportunity to be heard. They also questioned the authenticity of the evidence submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the matter, especially the hard discs recovered.

In counter argument, the WBSSC counsel claimed that the matter was heard by the bench of Justice Gangopadhyay for over a month and then the petitions could not prove their innocence which they are claiming now.