Court denies bail to Partha Chatterjee in recruitment scam amid teachers' job turmoil

Former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee's plea for bail in the primary recruitment scam case has once again been rejected by the CBI court. On Thursday, the judge at Bichar Bhavan stated that Partha is “directly involved” in the corruption case and releasing him now could lead to tampering with crucial evidence.

The court emphasized that the case is currently at a critical stage of investigation and judicial proceedings. “All the evidence, including the charge sheet, has been examined. Partha Chatterjee is directly involved in the recruitment corruption case. Therefore, bail cannot be granted at this time,” the judge remarked.

Partha Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2022 for his alleged role in the recruitment scam. Later, in October, he was also arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the primary school recruitment case. Although he secured bail in the ED case, his repeated attempts for bail in the CBI case have failed.

The hearing for the bail petition was last conducted on April 3, and the verdict was scheduled for April 11. However, due to the judge’s absence, it was postponed to April 13. On Thursday, Partha’s lawyers argued for bail on medical grounds, but the court found no sufficient reason to allow it.

According to the CBI charge sheet, 11 individuals are accused in the primary recruitment scam case. Among them, 8 have already received bail, while Partha Chatterjee and two others remain behind bars.