Calcutta HC Denies Bail to Partha Chatterjee and Four Others in Bengal School Job Scandal
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Kolkata, Dec 24 (NationPress) A solitary judge bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Tuesday, rejected the bail application of Partha Chatterjee, the former Education Minister of West Bengal, alongside four others implicated in the cash-for-school job controversy being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The hearings concluded on December 17, but the single judge bench led by Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty chose to reserve its ruling. Previously, on November 20, a division bench comprising Justice Arijit Bandopadhya and Justice Apruba Sinha Roy had issued a split decision regarding the bail plea submitted by Chatterjee and eight other defendants.
While Justice Bandopadhya favored granting bail to Chatterjee and the other accused, Justice Sinha Roy denied it for Chatterjee and four others.
The case was subsequently reassigned by the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty.
In his ruling to deny bail on Tuesday, Justice Chakraborty stated that while “bail is the rule” and “jail is the exception”, the allegations in this case are exceptionally grave.
He emphasized that the entire educational framework could be undermined if unqualified individuals are entrusted with teaching roles. He also pointed out that providing school employment to unqualified candidates in exchange for money constitutes a fraud against those who legitimately qualify through exams.
Justice Chakraborty raised concerns regarding the reluctance of the state government to initiate trial proceedings against implicated government employees, suggesting ongoing connections between the state government and the accused.
Currently, two separate investigations are underway against the former state minister: one by the CBI and another by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Chatterjee was apprehended in July 2022 by the ED following the discovery of substantial cash and gold at the residences of his associate Arpita Mukherjee. Since his arrest, he has been confined to a solitary cell at the Presidency Central Correctional Home, with multiple bail requests being denied across various courts. Mukherjee remains in judicial custody as well.
Recently, a division bench of the Supreme Court granted conditional bail to Chatterjee regarding the case registered by the ED. However, the CBI has since listed him as arrested in the same matter, prompting his legal representatives to file another bail petition with the Calcutta High Court.
