The Calcutta High Court issued a split verdict on the bail pleas of former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and others involved in a jobs-for-cash scandal. Justice Banerjee granted bail to 14 accused, citing personal liberty, while Justice Ray denied it to five, including Chatterjee, due to their influence. The case now proceeds to the Chief Justice for further action.
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday delivered a split verdict on the bail pleas of former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and other accused in the school jobs-for-cash case. The case, which is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), involves allegations of selling teaching jobs for bribes by officials of the West Bengal Central School Service Commission (WBCSSC) and the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).
The Division Bench comprising Justices Arijit Banerjee and Apruba Sinha Ray had differing opinions on the bail applications. Justice Banerjee granted bail to all 14 accused, including Chatterjee, emphasizing their right to personal liberty and speedy trial. However, Justice Ray denied bail to five of the accused, including Chatterjee, citing their influence and the need for further judicial scrutiny.
The Court directed that the bail pleas of the five accused with differing opinions be referred to the Chief Justice for appropriate action.
Justice Banerjee highlighted the importance of personal liberty and stated:
“It is highly improbable that the trial will begin on an early date… The prosecution may have an iron-cast case against the petitioner for securing his conviction. Nobody stands in the way of the prosecution to do so. However, one cannot be oblivious of the fundamental right to personal liberty and speedy trial which every under trial has. Such right is paramount and must prevail over all other considerations.”
Justice Banerjee also noted that Chatterjee had been in custody since September 22, 2022, and that continued incarceration after the completion of the investigation should be rare.
Justice Ray took a stricter stance, stating that the accused, including Chatterjee, wielded significant influence. He noted that Chatterjee’s position in the Education Department enabled rule changes in 2018 to facilitate the alleged scam.
“Dr. Chatterjee occupied such a high position in the Education department at the relevant time that the same had been used to change the relevant rules in 2018 to suit their alleged purpose,”
Justice Ray remarked.
Justice Ray also dismissed arguments of age and health, stating:
“Unfortunately, the allegations against the petitioners are that inspite of being the senior citizens and father figure of the state education system they didn’t consider at the relevant time the future and career of hundreds of young people who were like their sons and daughters.”
The CBI alleged that the accused collected large sums by promising teaching jobs to unqualified candidates. The scam reportedly involved a premeditated, organized effort to misuse official positions for personal gain.
The accused were represented by a team of senior advocates, including Sandipan Ganguly, Milon Mukherjee, and others, while the CBI was represented by Deputy Solicitor General Dhiraj Trivedi and Special Public Prosecutor Amajit De.
The case will now move to the Chief Justice for further directions on the split verdict. As the investigation continues, this decision underscores the complexity and high stakes of the school jobs-for-cash scam.
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