PTI, NEW DELHI, FEB 21, 2025 : The Supreme Court on Friday sought the CBI’s response on the bail plea of former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, who is facing corruption charges in the cash-for-jobs case. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh issued notice to the CBI after his counsel, M. S. Khan, said that Chatterjee had spent over two years in custody without trial. The bench then posted the hearing for March 20.
Khan said his client was granted bail in the money laundering case related to the alleged scam. Though the prosecution sanction against him was granted, Khan noted that the trial court hadn’t yet taken cognizance of the charge sheet for lack of sanction against the other accused persons.
On December 13, the apex court granted conditional future bail to Chatterjee, who was suspended from his party, TMC, in the money-laundering case related to the alleged scam. The former minister was named as an accused in eight cases – three by the ED and five by the CBI.
Chatterjee was arrested by the CBI and has remained in judicial custody since September 16, 2022. He was arrested by the ED on July 22, 2022, in the money laundering case. Recording that the charge sheet was filed by the ED in the money-laundering case involving Chatterjee, but charges are yet to be framed, the apex court had directed the trial court to decide on framing charges before the start of winter vacations or before December 31. The Supreme Court clarified that, after being released, Chatterjee should not hold any public post but could continue as a member of the West Bengal Assembly during the pendency of the trial.
Chatterjee has been an MLA since 2001 and was a minister in West Bengal from 2011 to 2022, holding the education portfolio in the state since 2016. He was accused of being involved in a racket affecting illegal appointments of unmerited candidates to posts of primary school teachers, assistant school teachers, and other posts in the education department.
