Bengal teacher recruitment scam: CBI court rejects Partha Chatterjee's bail plea; extends judicial custody
The CBI strongly opposed Partha Chatterjee 's bail plea and asked the court to extend his judicial custody. The probe agency said undeserving candidates were recruited in an illegal manner and there is a huge money trail in the case.
FollowA Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court in Kolkata on Thursday (January 19) rejected the bail application filed by former West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee and six others who were arrested in connection with the Bengal education scam.
All the seven accused had approached the court seeking immediate bail after completing their last term of judicial custody.
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The court, after hearing the arguments from both sides, rejected the bail petition for all the seven accused. They will all be produced before the court on February 2 again.
Partha Chatterjee's lawyer, advocate Selim Ahmed, said that the ousted minister "didn't take a single rupee" and argued that "not a single rupee has been recovered from his residence". The lawyer also claimed that Partha Chatterjee had no "direct connection" with the money trail that the CBI is investigating.
"If this goes on, there will be no other option left except to sit on a dharna like the scene in the Bollywood movie Jolly LLB," the lawyer said.
The lawyer further argued that if Partha Chatterjee is granted bail, he will not join the education ministry immediately and will cooperate with the CBI's probe into the case.
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However, the CBI strongly opposed Partha's bail plea and asked the court to extend his judicial custody. The probe agency said undeserving candidates were recruited in an illegal manner and there is a huge money trail in the case.
In July 2022, Partha Chatterjee was arrested over his alleged involvement in the West Bengal teacher recruitment scam. The former minister has been accused of provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
