The Supreme Court has instructed the School Service Commission to publish the list of “tainted” candidates on its website in the cash-for-jobs scam.

“The high court had asked for the list of tainted candidates be published. We did not interfere in that order. Still the list has not been published,” said the division bench comprising Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Satish Kumar Sharma on Thursday.

“The Court is keeping a watch on the recruitment process. If required, the Court will intervene.”

In April this year, the apex court upheld a verdict of the Calcutta High Court cancelling the jobs of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff from the 2016 State Level Selection Test organised by the state’s School Service Commission.

“In our opinion this case is where the entire selection process has been vitiated. Manipulation and fraud on a large scale, coupled with the intention to cover up have tainted the selection process beyond repair,” then Chief Justice of India Sanjeev Khanna had observed while delivering the verdict. “The legibility and credibility of the selection procedure are denuded. We find no reason to interfere in the HC, since the appointments are by fraud and cheating and we see no reason to interfere.”

The Supreme Court had stated that candidates specifically “found to be tainted” had their appointments cancelled as they were found to have “egregious violations and illegalities which violate Article 14 and 16 of the Constitution.”

The Mamata Banerjee government had filed a review petition against the SC verdict which has been rejected.

The apex court had asked the state to reconstitute the appointment process and keep the “tainted” candidates from re-applying.

Some of the aspirants had moved the apex court seeking a change in the schedule for the examinations. The bench turned down the plea and affirmed the examinations will be held on September 7 and 14.

While the “tainted” candidates will not be allowed to apply, others can apply till September 2.

A division bench of the Calcutta High Court had identified 17 points of illegalities in the selection process, adding that the West Bengal Secondary Education Board, the School Service Commission and the state government could not identify the total beneficiaries from the cash-for-jobs scam.

“Fraud perpetrated and perpetuated is deep and pervasive. Any attempt to shift the proverbial grain from the chaff would be an unprofitable exercise, prolonging the agony and putting a premium of dishonesty… we are left with the only option of cancelling all appointments…,” the high court division bench had said in its judgment.

Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said the state government will not publish the list.

“Supreme Court had said so earlier too. But the government did not do so. The SC has now given them seven days time. But they won’t do so as such list would expose the government and the ruling party,” Bhattacharya said.