Has the Calcutta HC concluded the hearing on Partha Chatterjee’s bail plea in a pivotal school job case?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Calcutta HC has concluded the hearing on Chatterjee's bail plea.
- Chatterjee has been in custody since July 2022.
- The case involves serious allegations of recruitment irregularities.
- Both CBI and ED are investigating the school job scam.
- Chatterjee is labeled as the principal mastermind in these allegations.
Kolkata, Sep 15 (NationPress) The Calcutta High Court has wrapped up the hearing regarding the bail application of Partha Chatterjee, the former Education Minister of West Bengal and Secretary General of the Trinamool Congress. This case is pivotal as it involves allegations from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) concerning irregularities in the recruitment process of primary teachers within the state.
The outcome of this hearing is significant; if Chatterjee is granted bail, he may finally leave the Presidency Central Correctional Home in south Kolkata, where he has been detained since July 2022.
Justice Suvra Ghosh, presiding over a single-judge bench, has reserved the order, leaving Chatterjee's bail status uncertain until a decision is made.
Chatterjee is facing charges from both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which have labeled him as the primary orchestrator behind the alleged school job scam.
This scam encompasses six main categories, including the recruitment of secondary, higher secondary, and upper primary teachers conducted by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC), as well as primary teacher appointments by the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE). The fifth and sixth categories involve the recruitment of non-teaching staff for Group C and D roles, also managed by the WBSSC.
Chatterjee has secured bail in all other related cases but remains incarcerated in this specific matter concerning primary teacher recruitment. If the Calcutta High Court grants him bail now, he will finally be released.
Among all individuals implicated in the school job cases, Chatterjee has been imprisoned for the longest duration.
He was arrested at his residence by ED officials in July 2022, and subsequently, the CBI also took him into custody.