Supreme Court has asked the West Bengal government to allow prosecution of Partha Chatterjee in the school jobs scam. The case involves illegal hiring of 26,000 staff and recovery of Rs 21 crore in cash.
New Delhi: Today, On May 8 The Supreme Court of India has asked the West Bengal government to give official permission (sanction) to prosecute Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Partha Chatterjee and other accused persons in the well-known cash-for-jobs scam case.
A bench led by Justice Surya Kant passed this direction during a hearing on Thursday. The case relates to illegal recruitment of thousands of teachers and other school staff in West Bengal, which has already been declared invalid by the courts.
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While hearing the case, the Supreme Court also took note of Partha Chatterjee’s bail application. Justice Surya Kant stated that this bail plea should be combined with other similar cases and all should be heard together on July 17, 2025.
The Court said,
“It is further directed that any other SLP filed against impugned order of 20th November 2024 of the High Court of Calcutta also be tagged along with the instant case”.
This means that any other petition (Special Leave Petition or SLP) filed against the Calcutta High Court’s order dated November 20, 2024, will be heard along with Partha Chatterjee’s case.
Partha Chatterjee, the former Education Minister of West Bengal and a senior leader of the TMC, is facing charges from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for his alleged role in the massive scam.
The scam involves the recruitment of around 26,000 people by the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC), which includes teachers and other school employees.
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This recruitment process was earlier declared illegal by the Calcutta High Court.
The Supreme Court also agreed with this decision and upheld the High Court’s verdict, calling the recruitment process “tainted” and based on “large-scale fraud”.
Partha Chatterjee was arrested by the ED in July 2022 and has been in custody since then. Recently, he was kept in the Presidency Correctional Home as of May this year.
In its investigation, the ED had recovered over Rs 21 crore in cash from the home of one of Chatterjee’s close associates. This recovery played a big role in building the case against him.
Following his arrest, the Trinamool Congress suspended Partha Chatterjee from the party. The decision came as the controversy surrounding the scam grew and legal proceedings gained momentum.
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With the Supreme Court now directing the West Bengal government to provide sanction for prosecution, and with the next hearing set for July 17, this case is expected to move forward significantly in the coming months.
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