The CBI court has warned former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee that his bail in the Teachers’ Recruitment Scam may be cancelled after he failed to appear in person. The court emphasized strict compliance with bail conditions.
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NEW DELHI: A special CBI court in Kolkata on Wednesday issued a warning to former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, cautioning that his bail could be cancelled after he failed to appear in person for the hearing in the primary teachers’ recruitment corruption case.
The hearing, connected to the Enforcement Directorate’s probe into the alleged multi-crore SSC teacher recruitment scam, required all accused individuals to be physically present in court. However, Chatterjee did not attend, prompting strong remarks from special CBI judge Suvendu Saha.
Judge Saha highlighted that the bail granted by the Calcutta High Court came with strict conditions requiring personal court attendance on scheduled dates.
“If the accused does not appear, this court has the power to cancel the bail,”
the judge stated.
Chatterjee’s lawyer argued that the former minister was unable to appear due to health complications and that a formal application citing medical reasons had already been filed. Despite his absence, Chatterjee submitted his passport to the court through his legal counsel, fulfilling one of his bail conditions.
Other Accused
Alongside Chatterjee, another accused, Shantanu Banerjee, was also absent from the hearing.
Several high-profile individuals, including state minister Chandranath Sinha, Kuntal Ghosh, and Arpita Mukherjee, were present. Mukherjee, whose residence in 2022 led to the ED recovering ₹20 crore in cash, requested the reopening of her three bank accounts, stating they were opened in 2002, long before the case existed. The court scheduled her application hearing for December 8.
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Background of the Case
The ED arrested Partha Chatterjee in July 2022 for his alleged involvement in the SSC teachers’ recruitment scam. He remained in ED, CBI, and later judicial custody for over three years.
Although the Calcutta High Court granted him bail in September, his release was delayed due to a Supreme Court directive requiring the trial court to examine material witnesses first. Chatterjee was finally released on November 11.
The West Bengal School Jobs Scam
The alleged teacher recruitment scam rocked the state’s education sector in 2022. The controversy erupted when unsuccessful candidates of the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) approached the Calcutta High Court, alleging massive irregularities and corruption in the appointment process of:
- Primary school teachers
- Assistant teachers
- Group D staff in government schools
Responding to the petitions, the High Court ordered a CBI probe on June 8, 2022. The agency filed an FIR the next day, while the ED launched a money-laundering investigation on June 24, 2022.
During coordinated raids on July 22, 2022, officials reportedly seized documents linked to 12 immovable properties allegedly owned by Chatterjee’s associates. In a separate raid on his aide Arpita Mukherjee’s residence, the ED recovered ₹21.9 crore in cash and gold jewellery worth over ₹76 lakh.
ALSO READ: CBI Court Grants Bail to Ex-WB Minister Partha Chatterjee in SSC Recruitment Scam
Partha Chatterjee had earlier secured bail in the ED cases and was granted conditional bail by the Supreme Court in the CBI cases. However, he remained in custody as per the apex court’s order that required him to stay incarcerated until the completion of witness examinations.
With the court proceedings now entering a new phase, Chatterjee’s release marks a major development in one of the most politically sensitive corruption cases in West Bengal’s recent history.
While the TMC leadership has maintained silence on the latest development, party insiders say Chatterjee’s release could reignite debates within the party ahead of upcoming state elections. Opposition parties, including the BJP and CPI(M), have demanded a speedy trial and full disclosure of assets linked to the scam.
Legal experts suggest that Chatterjee’s bail does not imply acquittal, and the case is expected to continue in trial courts under the supervision of the CBI and ED.
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