Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata

Kolkata, Sep 16: In a significant development in the multi-layered West Bengal school recruitment scam, a special CBI court on Tuesday granted bail to former Education Minister and Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee in connection with alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Group C non-teaching staff by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC).

The court approved Chatterjee’s bail on a personal bond of Rs 90,000. However, despite this relief, the former minister will remain in custody due to another pending case—related to the controversial recruitment of primary school teachers under the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE), for which his bail plea is currently under consideration by the Calcutta High Court.

That particular hearing concluded on Monday before Justice Suvra Ghosh, who has since reserved the order. The final verdict will determine whether Chatterjee will walk free after over three years in custody, or continue to remain behind bars.

Chatterjee has been embroiled in the sprawling school jobs scam investigated by both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Both agencies have repeatedly referred to him as the chief architect of the alleged scam, which spans six categories of appointments:

1. Secondary school teachers
2. Higher secondary teachers
3. Upper primary teachers (WBSSC)
4. Primary teachers (WBBPE)
5. Group C non-teaching staff (WBSSC)
6. Group D non-teaching staff (WBSSC)

Although various courts have granted him bail in all other categories, it is the primary teachers' recruitment case—considered one of the most critical aspects of the scam—that continues to keep him in jail.

Partha Chatterjee was first arrested in July 2022 by the Enforcement Directorate from his residence. The CBI later formally arrested him in parallel investigations. He now holds the distinction of being the longest-incarcerated accused in the school jobs scam, which has rocked the political and administrative landscape of West Bengal.

The final decision from the Calcutta High Court will be pivotal in determining whether his prolonged incarceration will come to an end or continue amid ongoing judicial scrutiny.