Bengal School Recruitment Case: Special Court to Rule on Partha Chatterjee's Bail Request on April 17

Synopsis

A special court in Kolkata is expected to announce its decision on April 17 regarding Partha Chatterjee's bail plea related to teacher recruitment irregularities. His involvement in multiple cases may delay his release even if granted bail.

Key Takeaways

Partha Chatterjee's bail hearing concluded on April 3.
The ruling is expected on April 17.
Chatterjee is accused of being the “mastermind” of the recruitment scandal.
He faces multiple allegations regarding teacher recruitment irregularities.
25,753 educators lost their jobs due to recent court rulings.

Kolkata, April 11 (NationPress) The presiding judge of a special court in Kolkata is anticipated to deliver a ruling on April 17 concerning the bail application submitted by former West Bengal education minister and ex-Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee. This case revolves around the recruitment of primary school teachers within the state.

The proceedings regarding the bail application were concluded on April 3. Initially, it was expected that the ruling would be announced on Friday. However, the judge of the special court, who had been hearing the case for an extended period, was absent on that day.

Subsequently, sources familiar with the situation indicated that the decision regarding the bail application might be revealed on April 17.

Throughout the hearings, the legal representative of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) contested the bail request, labeling Chatterjee as the “mastermind” behind the cash-for-school job scandal in West Bengal.

The CBI attorney further alleged that the optical marks recognition (OMR) sheets utilized in the written tests for the recruitment of primary teachers in state-run schools were destroyed at Chatterjee's directive.

However, even if Chatterjee secures bail from the special court in relation to his involvement in the primary teacher recruitment case conducted by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE), he will not be released immediately.

This is due to Chatterjee also being a key suspect in the irregularities concerning the recruitment of secondary and higher secondary teachers, along with non-teaching staff in Group-C and Group-D positions, a process managed by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC).

His bail request concerning the WBSSC appointment irregularities is pending at the Supreme Court, and he can only be released if the apex court grants him bail.

Chatterjee has been incarcerated since his arrest in July 2022 by officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), who were conducting a parallel investigation into the school job case. The CBI later also took him into custody.

The Supreme Court recently affirmed a previous ruling by a division bench of the Calcutta High Court from last year that annulled the entire panel of WBSSC for 2016.

As a result of the apex court's decision, approximately 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff in various state-run schools were rendered jobless.