A group of 79 graduate teachers from Tripura has moved the Supreme Court challenging their illegal termination by the state government and sought to be reinstated in their respective jobs.The teachers, in their writ petition filed before the apex court under Article 32 of the Indian Constitution, have accused the Tripura government of arbitrary mass termination in their letter on December 2017 and March 2020.According to the petitioners, who are being represented by advocates Amrit Lal Saha, Tarini K. Nayak and Aaditya Mishra, such arbitrary state action has not only stripped them of their livelihood but have also led to severe consequences including the reported suicides and mysterious deaths of more than 160 affected teachers.”The illegal termination violates the very established legal procedures and that the affected teachers have been left in a state of destitution, compelled to take menial jobs such as rickshaw pulling and domestic work to make their ends meet,” Nayak said.The petition of the teacers highlighted what it described as a massive scam within the Tripura government, pointing out that despite their terminations, the employment status and salary codes of the petitioners remain active in official records. This, they claimed, results in substantial financial loss to the public exchequer, with monthly remunerations amounting to crores of rupees allegedly being misappropriated by certain state officials.After hearing the petition, a two-judge bench of the top court, led by Justice Vikram Nath and Justice PB Varale has issued notice to the Tripura government, seeking its response to the allegations.The case raised also the very important questions about administrative accountability and the protection of employment rights, especially in cases involving mass terminations affecting a significant number of individuals, their livelihood and family.The outcome of this legal battle will likely have far-reaching implications not only for the terminated teachers in Tripura but also for the broader discourse on government accountability and the rights of public sector employees across the country.As the case progresses, the petitioners were quite hopeful about a good and positive outcome of the Supreme Court verdict in their favour. The petitioners said that the SC will provide the desired relief to them (aggrieved teachers) seeking justice and reinstatement of their employment rights.
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