Court Denies Bail for Partha Chatterjee in School Job Scandal

Synopsis

A PMLA court in Kolkata has denied the bail application of former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, who is implicated in a multi-crore cash-for-school job case. The judge cited significant evidence linking him to recruitment irregularities and expressed concerns that granting bail could disrupt the ongoing investigation.

Key Takeaways

Partha Chatterjee denied bail in school job case.
CBI registered the case against him.
He had previously received bail from ED.
Judge noted direct evidence of irregularities.
Another bail application pending in Supreme Court.

Kolkata, April 17 (NationPress) A Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court here on Thursday denied the bail request of Partha Chatterjee, the former West Bengal Education Minister and Trinamool Congress Secretary General, in connection with the multi-crore cash-for-school job scandal.

This denial came in relation to a case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Previously, Chatterjee had been granted bail in another case investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which was conducting a separate inquiry into the school job matter.

Chatterjee was first detained in July 2022 by ED officials and has remained in custody since then. Subsequently, the CBI also classified him as arrested.

In the bail denial, the special court judge noted that the evidence presented in the charge sheet indicated the accused's direct involvement in the alleged misconduct related to school job recruitments.

The judge further remarked that Chatterjee failed to provide convincing arguments to support his bail request. The judge expressed concern that granting bail at this critical stage of the investigation could impede the ongoing process.

The special court was originally scheduled to deliver the ruling on April 11; however, this was postponed due to the absence of the presiding judge. The ruling was finally made on Thursday, leading to the rejection of the bail application.

Additionally, another bail application from Chatterjee regarding the school job case is pending before the Supreme Court.

Chatterjee is implicated in both cases of recruitment irregularities, which include those concerning secondary and higher secondary teachers and non-teaching staff in Group-C and Group-D positions, regulated by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC), as well as the appointment process for primary teachers overseen by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE).