Kolkata, Mar 10 (IANS): The Calcutta High Court on Friday questioned 57 appointments in non-teaching staff in Group-C category in different government schools in the state without proper recommendation letters from the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC).

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay said: "How is it possible that as many as 57 Group-C staff were recruited without valid recommendation from WBSSC. In that case the question is who actually recommended them for recruitment. Was it SP Sinha?"

Justice Gangopadhyay ordered the Commission to immediately publish the names of these 57 on the commission's website after which the hearing will continue.

Sinha was heading WBSSC screening committee, which was constituted by the Commission during the tenure of Partha Chatterjee, the-then state education minister.

A judicial probe committee headed by Justice Ranjit Kumar Bag had observed that the screening committee was constituted flouting all norms and Sinha was made to head that committee to "facilitate" illegal recruitments of teaching and non-teaching staff in state-run schools.

Both Chatterjee and Sinha are currently in judicial custody for their alleged involvement in the scam.

As per prescribed norms, though WBSSC is the selection authority of teaching and non-teaching staff, it is not the appointing authority for the same. As per norm, WBSSC gives recommendations of appointments to selected categories and on the basis of that, West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) makes appointment.

However, in these 57 cases in Group-C category, all were appointed without recommendation from the commission.