New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday (December 13) directed release of former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee in the money laundering case related to the cash-for-job scam on or before February 1 next year after framing of charges and examination of vulnerable witnesses in the alleged school jobs scam.
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, while granting conditional future bail to Chaterjee, said that a suspect cannot be detained indefinitely and the court has to balance the rights of the accused and the victims.
What did apex court direct trial court?
The bench directed the trial court to frame charges before winter the start of vacations or December 30, whichever is earlier, to examine the statement of all vulnerable witnesses and asked Chatterjee and his counsel to extend full cooperation.
Order only related to money laundering case: Apex Court
The bench further said that its order is only related to the money laundering case against Chatterjee and no other case against him, including the case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The bench also said that he shall not be appointed to any public office apart from being a member of the legislative assembly.
“Trial court is directed to frame charges before winter vacations begin or December 30, whichever is earlier, statement of all vulnerable witnesses to be examined and appellant and counsel shall extend full cooperation. Appellant may challenge the framing of charges, however, the witnesses has to be examined. The petitioner shall be released on February 1, 2025. If the framing of charges and witnesses are examined before, he shall be released immediately after the same,” the bench said.
On the face of it you are a corrupt person, bench earlier told Chatterjee’s counsel
The bench had earlier on December 4 reserved its verdict on Chaterjee’s plea and during the hearing it told the counsel representing Chatterjee, “on the face of it you are a corrupt person. Crores of rupees were recovered from your premises” and that he cannot seek parity with other accused persons granted bail in the case, as “not everyone was a minister.”
Chatterjee was arrested by the ED in connection with an alleged school jobs scam along with his close aide Mukherjee in connection with its probe into the money trail in the alleged illegal recruitments. According to the ED, Rs 49.80 crore in cash, jewellery, gold bars, documents of properties and a company in joint holdings were recovered from flats owned by Mukherjee.
