Supreme Court Grants Partha Chatterjee Bail in Bengal School Job Case by February 1

New Delhi, Dec 13 (NationPress) The Supreme Court declared on Friday that Partha Chatterjee, the former Education Minister of West Bengal, should be granted bail by or before February 1 of the upcoming year in relation to the money laundering allegations associated with the purported cash-for-school-job scandal.

A bench led by Justice Surya Kant instructed the trial court to determine the framing of charges before the winter vacation begins or by December 31, whichever comes first.

Additionally, the court directed that the statements of vulnerable prosecution witnesses be recorded during the second or third week of January next year.

Justice Kant's Bench emphasized that Partha Chatterjee must fully cooperate with the trial, clarifying that he cannot be held in custody past February 1, 2025.

Upon release, it was made clear that Chatterjee would not be permitted to hold any public office, apart from maintaining his role as an MLA.

Last week, the Bench, which included Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, reserved its decision after listening to the arguments presented by senior counsel Mukul Rohtagi, representing Chatterjee, and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Rohtagi argued that Chatterjee had been in custody for over two years, with no indication that the trial would conclude soon. He pointed out that other co-accused individuals had already received bail in the money laundering case.

In opposition to the bail request, the ED asserted that releasing Chatterjee would likely lead to witness tampering and evidence manipulation.

During a previous hearing, the Supreme Court signaled a potential relief for Chatterjee while expressing concerns about the delays in initiating the trial.

Questioning the ED about the duration of Chatterjee's incarceration, Justice Kant queried, "How long can we keep him behind bars? More than two years have elapsed. If he is ultimately acquitted, what happens then?"

The Court also raised issues related to the low conviction rates in cases brought by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

In response, the ED reiterated that serious corruption allegations had been leveled against Chatterjee, with claims that jobs were offered to unqualified candidates in exchange for bribes.

The federal anti-money laundering agency noted that Chatterjee remained in custody due to corruption accusations and, if released, he could potentially influence witnesses to change their stories.

On October 1, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the ED, mandating a response within two weeks.

Previously, the Calcutta High Court had denied Chatterjee's request for bail.

After multiple denials in lower courts, Chatterjee sought relief from the high court, asserting he had no link to the substantial cash discovered at the home of his close aide, Arpita Mukherjee, and requested bail.

The ED had seized significant amounts of cash and gold from Mukherjee's residences in July 2022, which she claimed were placed there by Chatterjee.

Throughout the investigation, the ED also confiscated properties, including land and residential houses, that were indirectly or jointly owned by Chatterjee and his close associates.

Chatterjee was apprehended at his home by the ED in July 2022, and has since been held at the Presidency Central Correctional Home located in south Kolkata.