Supreme Court Issues Notice on Partha Chatterjee’s Bail Plea in CBI Case
Last Updated on February 21, 2025 by Athi Venkatesh
The Supreme Court has issued a notice on former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee’s bail plea in the CBI case related to the state’s cash-for-jobs scam. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh passed the order.
The scam involves allegations of illegal recruitment of Assistant Teachers under the West Bengal Board of Primary Education. Authorities registered a corruption case in 2022. The CBI arrested several officials, including WBCSSC Chairman Dr. Subires Bhattacharyya, Secretary Ashok Kumar Saha, WBBSE President Dr. Kalyanmoy Ganguly, WBBSE Secretary Dr. Santi Prasad Sinha, and Minister Partha Chatterjee.
Officials allegedly misused their positions to demand bribes in exchange for jobs. Authorities charged them under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the PMLA.
Chatterjee initially sought bail from the Calcutta High Court. In November 2024, a division bench delivered a split verdict. One judge granted bail to all accused, while the other denied bail to Chatterjee and four officials. The case then went to a single judge, who denied their bail requests.
Chatterjee challenged both decisions in the Supreme Court. In December 2024, the Court granted him bail in the money laundering case, effective February 1, 2025. Now, the Supreme Court has taken up his bail plea in the CBI case.
