No relief for Partha Chatterjee, CBI court rejects ex-Bengal minister’s bail plea in SSC scam, extends remand

Kolkata: In a big setback to former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, who was arrested by the central probe agency in connection with the School Service Commission recruitment scam, a CBI court on Thursday rejected his bail plea and extended his judicial remand till January 19. The special CBI court judge also asked the central investigating agency to speed up its investigation in the case. Opposing Chatterjee's bail prayer, the CBI counsel claimed that the investigation is on to unearth money which allegedly changed hands for giving teaching and non-teaching jobs to undeserving candidates in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools and that he is an influential person.

Chatterjee's lawyers submitted that he was falsely implicated and was not in the know of the day-to-day functioning of the five-member committee which was set up to oversee the appointment process of a 2016 panel for recruitment of teachers for classes nine and ten and group C and D staff in schools run by the state government or aided by it.

Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 23 after huge amounts of cash, jewellery and property deeds were seized from the apartments of his alleged close associate Arpita Mukherjee. He was taken into CBI custody on September 16 on a court order.

He held the education portfolio between 2014 and 2021 when the irregularities in the recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in state government-sponsored and aided schools are alleged to have taken place. The Calcutta High Court ordered the CBI investigation into the irregularities, following which the ED also started a probe into the alleged money trail in the scam.

Chatterjee was relieved of his ministerial duties by the Mamata Banerjee government following his arrest by the ED. He held several portfolios including parliamentary affairs, industry and commerce when he was arrested. The Trinamool Congress also removed him from all posts he held in the party, including that of its secretary general.