Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay resigns as judge of Calcutta High Court, next move still not clear 

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of Calcutta High Court resigned as a judge. He submitted his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday with copies to CJI DY Chandrachud and the Chief Justice of the Calcutta HC TS Sivagnanam, news agency PTI said. Earlier, Justice Gangopadhyay had announced that he was quitting and joining politics.

On Sunday, Justice Gangopadhyay said he would be entering the field of politics. When asked which party he is likely to join, he mentioned Congress, Left, the BJP and “smaller parties”. He, however, didn't mention the Trinamool Congress.

"I am going to resign from the post of a judge in the Calcutta high court. For the last two or more years I have been dealing with some matters, especially education matters, regarding which a huge corruption has been discovered and unearthed. A large number of important persons in the education sector of this government are now languishing in jail, under trial," Abhijit Gangopadhyay had told news agency ANI.

Justice Gangopadhyay added: "Now I am taking labour matters. There are also large scams of employers concerning provident fund gratuity, etc. I have also passed certain orders in those respects. But what I have failed while doing these matters of labour matters, labour legislation, that I have felt that my job in this duty is over. This is the call of my conscience." 

In the past, Justice Gangopadhyay has attacked the ruling Trinamool Congress and its leaders for lawlessness in the state.

“I have said that West Bengal under the Trinamool is an empire of thieves (chourjyasamrajya). There is no question of joining that party. I can see that the party is gradually falling behind, breaking up…,” Justice Gangopadhyay said.

During his tenure in the HC, Justice Gangopadhyay issued several directives instructing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to probe allegations of irregularities in the recruitment processes of teaching and non-teaching staff in West Bengal government-sponsored and -aided schools.

Monday was the last working day of Justice Gangopadhyay. He is scheduled to address the press in the afternoon, where he is likely to divulge his future plans. 

Last year, Justice Gangopadhyay triggered a major controversy in the state after he commented on a case related to the ‘school jobs for cash scam’. In an interview, he spoke on the alleged role of TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in the matter, Bar and Bench highlighted. The Supreme Court while taking strong objection, had said that “sitting judges had no business giving interviews to TV channels”.