Kolkata HC grants bail to Kuntal Ghosh in recruitment scam, release delayed due to CBI case

Kolkata High Court granted bail to former TMC youth leader Kuntal Ghosh in the recruitment scam case on Wednesday. The court approved his bail in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case, but his release from jail is delayed due to a pending case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Although the ED case has seen the grant of bail, Ghosh’s freedom is contingent upon the resolution of the CBI case, which is still ongoing.

Justice Shubhra Ghosh, who heard the case, imposed several conditions on Ghosh’s bail. Ghosh is required to surrender his passport, if in his possession, and stay within the jurisdiction of the lower court. He is also prohibited from tampering with evidence or influencing any witnesses involved in the case. In addition to these restrictions, Ghosh has been asked to furnish a bond of ₹10 lakh to secure his bail.

Ghosh’s name surfaced in the recruitment scam following the allegations of Tapas Mondal, a co-accused, who claimed that Ghosh had collected large sums of money from job aspirants in exchange for employment. This led to Ghosh’s arrest on January 21, 2023, after a series of raids. The charges against him include illegal collection of money for government jobs and other related offenses. His involvement in the case prompted extensive investigations by multiple agencies.

The High Court’s bail hearing also coincided with the ongoing bail application hearing for former education minister Partha Chatterjee, another key figure in the recruitment scam. While Ghosh has been granted bail in the ED case, he remains incarcerated due to the unresolved CBI case. The outcome of the CBI case will determine if Ghosh can be released from custody entirely.