Bengal School Employment Case: Kalyanmoy Bhattacharya Gets Conditional Court Approval to Become Approver
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Synopsis
Kalyanmoy Bhattacharya has received conditional approval from a Kolkata court to turn approver in the cash-for-school job case. His exemption from charges relies on him disclosing new information to aid the investigation.
Key Takeaways
- Kalyanmoy Bhattacharya granted conditional approval to become an approver.
- Exemption from charges depends on providing new evidence.
- Bhattacharya associated with Babli Chatterjee Memorial Trust.
- ED has named 53 individuals in the case.
- Partha Chatterjee remains in custody due to a separate CBI investigation.
Kolkata, March 16 (NationPress) The special court in Kolkata has granted permission for Kalyanmoy Bhattacharya, son-in-law of Partha Chatterjee, to become an "approver" in the cash-for-school job case in West Bengal, but this comes with a crucial condition.
Bhattacharya, identified as an accused in the charge sheets filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), submitted a request to become an "approver" and sought exemption from charges against him.
The special court operating under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Kolkata approved his request to become an "approver", but noted that his other plea for exemption from charges would only be accepted if he provided new information during a "confidential statement" taken before a judicial magistrate.
If Bhattacharya does not disclose new information that assists the investigation, his request for exemption will be denied, and he will remain classified as an accused.
Bhattacharya's "secret confession" is anticipated to take place this week.
He served on the trustee board of the Babli Chatterjee Memorial Trust, named after the late wife of Partha Chatterjee, the former West Bengal education minister and Trinamool Congress secretary general.
The main allegation against the trust is that funds linked to the school-job cases were recorded as donations to the trust, which were later utilized to buy property in the trust's name.
Chatterjee and his associate Arpita Mukherjee were arrested by ED officials in July 2022 after substantial amounts of cash and gold were seized from Mukherjee's residences.
Although Chatterjee was granted bail in the ED's case, he remains in custody due to a separate case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is also probing the school job matter.
The ED has indicted 53 individuals in its subsequent charge sheets, which include 29 individuals and 24 corporate entities or trusts.
In addition to the Babli Chatterjee Memorial Trust, several other corporate entities have been implicated in the charge sheets. One of those entities is associated with another key accused, Sujay Krishna Bhadra, who previously served as the chief operating officer.
