Cash-for-job scam: SC grants future bail to ex-WB minister Partha Chatterjee | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has given a conditional verdict future bail on Friday to former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee in one money laundering case linked to the money for work scam. A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan ruled that Chatterjee would be released on February 1, 2025, provided the court files the charges before the winter holidays and completes the interrogation of vulnerable witnesses by mid-January 2025.
The court ruled that Chatterjee will not be allowed to hold public office after his release, although he will be allowed to continue serving as an MLA. The court said that while suspects cannot be detained indefinitely, the rights of both the suspect and the victims must be balanced.
On December 4, the court had reserved its decision on his bail application, remarking: “Prima facie, you appear to be a corrupt individual,” and referring to the significant cash recovered from his premises.
In October, the Supreme Court issued notice to the ED in response to Chatterjee’s appeal against the Calcutta High Court’s April 30 order denying him bail, citing a prima facie case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA ). Chatterjee was arrested for alleged irregularities in recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in government-sponsored and aided primary schools in West Bengal.
The ED also arrested Chatterjee’s alleged associate Arpita Mukherjee during its probe into the money trail linked to these illegal recruitments. The agency said it had seized Rs 49.80 crore in cash along with gold bars, jewelery and documents relating to properties and a joint ownership of Mukherjee’s flats.