The Calcutta High Court has concluded hearings on bail applications for former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and four ex-officials involved in a school recruitment scam. Justice Chakraborty has reserved judgment on the bail pleas, while the CBI opposes bail due to ongoing investigations and concerns over the accused’s influence.
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday concluded the hearing of bail applications filed by former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and four ex-officials implicated in the alleged school jobs recruitment scam. Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty has reserved the order on the bail petitions, leaving the fate of the accused uncertain.
The bail prayers were submitted by former West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) chairman Subires Bhattacharya, former state secondary education board president Kalyanmoy Ganguly, SSC advisory committee’s ex-chairman S P Saha, and former SSC secretary Ashok Saha, along with Partha Chatterjee.
Earlier, a division bench comprising Justices Arijit Banerjee and Apurba Sinha Roy delivered conflicting judgments regarding the bail pleas of the five accused. Following this, the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court assigned the case to the single bench of Justice Chakraborty for a conclusive adjudication.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) opposed the bail pleas, emphasizing that while investigations into these five individuals have concluded, the broader probe into the alleged recruitment irregularities is ongoing. The agency argued that granting bail at this stage could jeopardize the investigation.
The CBI’s counsel further highlighted the accused’s influence, stating:
“Their enlargement on bail at this stage may affect the probe as the accused persons are influential.”
Partha Chatterjee, who served as West Bengal’s Education Minister from 2011 to 2021, is a key accused in the case. Along with the other former public servants, he has been in custody for nearly two years for alleged irregularities in the school jobs recruitment process. All five accused had moved the Calcutta High Court seeking bail.
Justice Chakraborty’s decision on the bail pleas is awaited as the court weighs the arguments presented by the defense and the CBI. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for the broader investigation into the recruitment scam.
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