Cash-for-jobs case: SC grants future bail to ex WB minister Partha Chatterjee

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said that Chatterjee shall be released on February 1, 2025

The Supreme Court on Friday granted conditional future bail to former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee in a money laundering case related to the cash-for-job case.

Ex-West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee was arrested by ED in connection with the case in July last year. (ANI file photo)

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said that Chatterjee shall be released on February 1, 2025, subject to the trial court framing charges before the winter vacation and examination of vulnerable witnesses by the second and third week of January 2025.

Chatterjee is facing arrest in the teacher recruitment case probed separately by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The court said, “The petitioner will thereafter be released on February 1, subject to conditions to be imposed by the trial court.”

It directed Chatterjee and his lawyers to cooperate with the trial court to meet these deadlines and further stated that if the framing of charge and examination of vulnerable witnesses gets over before the deadline, Chatterjee shall be released “immediately thereafter”.

The court struck a balance between the right of the accused and interest of fair investigation as it reminded the investigation agency, “Suspect cannot be held in custody indefinitely as undertrial incarceration cannot lead to punitive detention.”

At the same time, the court took note of the fact that close to ₹50 crore had been recovered from premises linked to Chatterjee who is accused of collecting bribes for making appointments to various posts in state-run schools. It even considered the apprehension expressed by ED that one of the co-accused in the case Arpita Mukherjee had expressed serious threat to her safety on release of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader.

The court clarified that upon release, “petitioner shall not be appointed to any public office except holding the office of the member of West Bengal assembly.”

The order of the court came in the context of the ED probe as it clarified that the present decision will not have any bearing with regard to case probed by CBI where he is yet to get bail.

While reserving orders on the bail plea early this month, the bench called Chatterjee “corrupt” and linked him to the premises from which the money was recovered. The court said that evidence prima facie pointed out that on becoming minister, he created dummy persons to control the companies.

Chatterjee was the education minister in the state from 2014 to 2021. He was arrested by the ED in July 2022 and is currently facing multiple cases lodged by ED and CBI in cash-for-jobs case related to recruitment of primary teachers, secondary teachers and Group C and D posts.