Supreme Court Grants Bail To Partha Chatterjee In Cash-For-Jobs Case
|The Supreme Court was hearing Chatterjee’s bail plea in the CBI’s corruption case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, which is linked to the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Assistant Teachers under the West Bengal Board of Primary Education.
Today, the Supreme Court ordered release of former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, while hearing Chatterjee’s bail plea in the CBI’s corruption case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, which is linked to the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Assistant Teachers under the West Bengal Board of Primary Education.
The alleged scam, which surfaced in 2022, led to the arrest of several top officials, all of whom had been accused of demanding bribes in exchange for teaching jobs, and were booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act and PMLA.
The Bench of Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh observed that Chatterjee was in incarceration for almost three years and such continued incarceration would be a travesty of justice.
Senior Advocate MS Khan, appearing for Chatterjee, submitted that they are willing to accept whatever conditions the Court may impose on Chatterjee.
The Court noted that Chatterjee was in incarceration for almost three years and such continued incarceration would be a travesty of justice.
Subsequently, the Court recorded in its Order 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).
Accordingly, the Court continued to record that it was inclined to release Partha Chatterjee.
Background
Earlier on May 08, 2025, the Supreme Court raised concerns over High Courts delivering split verdicts in bail matters.
In December 2024, the Apex Court had granted bail to Chatterjee in a related money laundering case under PMLA, effective from February 1, 2025. The Court had held, "A suspect cannot be held in custody indefinitely and undertrial incarceration should not amount to punitive detention. The Court would nevertheless ensure that affluent or influential accused do not obstruct the ongoing investigation, tamper with the evidence or influence witnesses, namely, axes that undermine the fundamental doctrine of a fair trial." However, he remained in custody in the CBI’s corruption case.
The alleged scam, which surfaced in 2022, led to the arrest of several top officials, all of whom had been accused of demanding bribes in exchange for teaching jobs, and were booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act and PMLA. The split verdict from the Calcutta High Court in November 2024 had seen one judge allowing bail to all accused, while the other denied relief to Chatterjee and four other senior education officials.
Cause Title: Partha Chatterjee v. CBI (SLP (Crl) No. 2471/2025)
Click here to read/download Order