The Calcutta High Court has instructed the state’s chief secretary to expedite prosecution sanction for those involved in the West Bengal school job scam, including former minister Partha Chatterjee.
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KOLKATA: Today(on 22nd March), The Calcutta High Court has issued a directive to the state’s chief secretary regarding the grant of sanction for prosecution of several accused individuals, including former minister Partha Chatterjee. The court’s decision comes amidst ongoing bail hearings for former public servants involved in the case.
“Observing that a delay in taking a decision on grant of sanction for prosecution of the accused ‘is a matter of serious regret’,”
-emphasized a division bench presided by Justice Joymalya Bagchi as it directed that notice be issued to the state’s chief secretary.
The court’s directive includes a submission deadline for the chief secretary, who is required to present a report outlining a timeline for an independent decision on the prosecution sanction. This report is scheduled to be filed by April 3, coinciding with the next hearing of bail applications related to the arrests made by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the ongoing investigation into the school jobs scam.
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Among those seeking bail are former education minister Partha Chatterjee, former secretary of West Bengal School Service Commission Ashok Saha, ex-president of West Bengal Board of Secondary Education Kalyanmoy Ganguly, and former SSC chairman Subires Bhattacharyya.
Highlighting the prolonged detention of the accused individuals, the petitioners’ counsels stressed that their clients have been in custody for over a year, with investigations already concluded.
Responding to earlier court directives, Additional Solicitor General Ashoke Chakraborti, representing the CBI director, informed the court about the grant of prosecution sanction to former minister Partha Chatterjee by the governor of West Bengal. However, other former public servants implicated in the case await a decision from the state’s chief secretary, despite repeated requests.
Justice Gaurang Kanth, a member of the bench, stated-
“Allegations of corruption, especially within high-ranking circles, pose a significant threat to the rule of law and erode confidence in public administration.”
The court highlighted their far-reaching impact on public administration and people’s confidence in the state’s affairs. While acknowledging the severity of the offenses, the court also emphasized the importance of preventing undue, prolonged undertrial detention for individuals awaiting prosecution sanction.
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