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 scam.
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.
The top court said upon his release Chatterjee shall not hold any public office but can continue as MLA.
The bench said that a suspect cannot be detained indefinitely and, therefore, it has to balance the rights of the accused and the victims.
On December 4, the Supreme court had reserved its verdict on his bail plea and told him that, “On the face of it you are a corrupt person. Crores of rupees were recovered from your premises.”
The Supreme Court in October issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on an appeal filed by Chatterjee, challenging a Calcutta High Court order from April 30 that denied him bail. The high court had ruled that a prima facie case was established against him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Chatterjee was arrested in connection with alleged irregularities in the recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff at West Bengal government-sponsored and aided primary schools.
The ED had arrested Chatterjee and his alleged close associate, Arpita Mukherjee, as part of its investigation into the money trail linked to the illegal recruitments. The agency claimed to have recovered Rs 49.80 crore in cash, along with jewellery, gold bars, and documents related to properties and a jointly held company from flats owned by Mukherjee.