Calcutta High Court’s Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay said on Sunday that he was quitting the judiciary.
“I will resign from the post of the Justice of Calcutta High Court on March 5 (Tuesday),” he told reporters outside his residence in Kolkata on Sunday.
The judge, whose rulings on various education-related issues in the state stirred political debates, said that he will send his resignation letter to the President of India and a copy of the letter will also be given to the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court.
“I do not want to say anything further on this today,” he also said, amid speculations that he could likely join politics.
He has issued multiple directives urging the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to investigate allegations of irregularities in the recruitment procedures of both teaching and non-teaching staff in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools.
Earlier, in an interview with Bengali news channel ABP Ananda, he said that he could also join politics.
“I have been challenged to come and fight on the (political) field several times by the ruling party’s (TMC’s) leaders, so I thought why not,” he said.
The judge said that he would contest elections if he got a ticket, however, he had not mentioned which party he was interested in.
In his criticism of West Bengal’s ruling TMC, he highlighted the widespread corruption in the state, reports The Indian Express.
Reacting to the development, TMC state spokesperson Debangshu Bhattacharya said, “We have been saying for long that he is a political party worker. We thank him today for proving us right.”
Meanwhile, BJP’s Sukanta Majumdar and Congress’ Adhir Rajan Chowdhary said that the respective parties would welcome the decision of him joining politics. Chowdhury had once said that he would like Gangopadhyay to be the chief minister of West Bengal.