Is Kalyanmoy Bhattacharya's Statement Crucial Evidence Against Partha Chatterjee?

Kolkata, Sep 15 (NationPress) The confidential statement provided by Kalyanmoy Bhattacharya as an approver against his father-in-law, former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, in relation to the multi-crore cash-for-school job scandal, is set to be a pivotal document for the central agencies during the trial process.

Sources have indicated that the statements recorded from Kalyanmoy Bhattacharya earlier this year will be instrumental in illustrating how he manipulated various channels to divert the proceeds of the alleged scam, rather than detailing how he initially acquired these proceeds through recruitment irregularities.

Furthermore, it has been suggested that Bhattacharya’s statements will be particularly beneficial in the trial proceedings led by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Chatterjee, compared to those pursued by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as both agencies conduct parallel investigations into the school job scandal.

A legal associate involved in the case pointed out that Bhattacharya's role in the school-job cases emerged only after Chatterjee had already completed the collection of proceeds from the irregular recruitment process.

“Bhattacharya’s participation began once his father-in-law finished gathering the funds and started diverting those proceeds through various channels. While the CBI’s investigation is concentrated on the recruitment process and the initial proceeds collection, the ED focuses on the money laundering aspect, including the diversion and investment of these funds. As a result, Bhattacharya’s testimony will be more relevant for the ED’s case against Chatterjee,” the legal associate clarified.

In March of this year, Kalyanmoy Bhattacharya obtained the court's consent to act as an approver against his father-in-law, with his statements recorded shortly thereafter in a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Kolkata.

Bhattacharya was connected to the Babli Chatterjee Memorial Trust, named after Partha Chatterjee’s late wife, which has reportedly been implicated in the misappropriation of funds in the school job scandal. The trust has been identified as an “accused entity” in subsequent charge sheets filed by the ED.

The main allegations against the trust include that proceeds from the crime, received from a network of agents in large cash amounts, were misrepresented as donations to the trust, which were then utilized to acquire various properties registered under the trust's name.