SC adjourns hearing on Partha Chatterjee's plea in cash-for-jobs scam

The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned the hearing on the bail plea of Partha Chatterjee, an MLA and former West Bengal education minister, in a money laundering case related to cash-for-jobs recruitment irregularities.

A bench of justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan adjourned the hearing observing that it has to go through the files relating to custody being served by Chatterjee.

Meanwhile, Chatterjee's counsel submitted the affidavit apprising about his custody in other cases.

In the last hearing, the top court sought to know the period of judicial custody and police custody undergone by Chatterjee.

The top court last week noted that the trial, in the money laundering case related to irregularities of recruitment of primary teachers, against Partha Chatterjee, an MLA and former West Bengal education minister, is yet to start and hundreds of witnesses are supposed to be examined.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi for Chatterjee in the last hearing informed the top court that his client is in jail for nearly 2.5 years, 183 witnesses are in the case and the trial is yet to start. He also referred to his age and said that he is 73 years old.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, had opposed Partha Chatterjee's bail plea in the case and said that charges were serious in nature and a huge amount of cash was seized.

The top court also took into account that the allegations are serious. The top court sought to know the status of the investigation.

ASG Raju said that a chargesheet has been filed in the case. The top court also noted the low conviction rate in money laundering cases.

The top court was also informed that Partha is undergoing judicial custody in another case being probed by the CBI.

The top court was hearing Partha Chatterjee's bail plea in a case related to cash-for-jobs recruitment irregularities.

In July 2022, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested the former West Bengal Education Minister and TMC leader Partha Chatterjee in connection with the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) teacher recruitment scam. Chatterjee was previously lodged at the Presidency Correctional Home in May this year.

The Enforcement Directorate had earlier recovered over Rs 21 crore in cash from the house of an associate of West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee.

TMC had suspended Partha Chatterjee, arrested in the teacher recruitment scam in the state, from the party and removed him from all the party posts.

Earlier Calcutta High Court had recently directed the CBI to carry out investigations into the recruitment scam of Group 'C' & 'D' staff, Assistant Teachers of classes IX-XII and primary teachers. In these cases, involving the illegal appointment of non-teaching staff (Group C & D), teaching staff. ED is investigating cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).