Supreme Court orders Partha Chatterjee's release in cash-for-jobs case after recording witness statements

The Supreme Court on Monday said that former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee should be released on bail in connection with the CBI's alleged cash-for-jobs case after the trial court records statements of material witnesses.

A Bench of Justices MM Sundresh and NK Singh said the statements must be recorded within two months.

The Court passed the order after noting that Chatterjee had been in jail for nearly three years and his continued incarceration would be a travesty of justice.

It also granted bail to Subiresh Bhattacharya and Shantiprasad Sinha, both of whom held positions in West Bengal's education bodies during the period of alleged illegal recruitment.

Further, the Bench ordered that the charges will be framed within four weeks under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act) against public servants, where sanction is accorded under the PC Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

However, with respect to accused against whom sanction has not been accorded, charges will be framed for only IPC offences, the Court said.

The case relates to recruitment irregularities allegedly took place when Chatterjee was West Bengal's education minister. He was holding other ministerial portfolios when he was arrested in 2022, but was sacked from the State Cabinet and suspended from the TMC shortly after his arrest.

His bail plea was rejected by the Calcutta High Court in December 2024, prompting the current appeal before the apex court.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged that Chatterjee was the mastermind behind the scam and that he manipulated the recruitment process within the West Bengal Central School Service Commission (WBSSC) and the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).

Accused Partha Chatterjee was represented by Senior Advocate MS Khan.

Senior Advocates Siddharth Mridul and Pramod Kumar Dubey along with advocates Vivek Jain, Rupraj Banerjee and Prachi Dubey represented Subiresh Bhattacharya.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju appeared for the CBI.

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