Partha Chatterjee to remain in judicial custody till September 14 in teacher recruitment scam
The Enforcement Directorate demanded a custodial trial saying that the former minister is an influential person, who could tamper with evidence if given bail.
A special court in West Bengal on Wednesday rejected the bail pleas of former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee and his associate Arpita Mukherjee and remanded them to judicial custody for 14 days in an alleged teacher recruitment scam, PTI reported.
They will now be in custody till September 14.
The Enforcement Directorate had arrested Chatterjee and Mukherjee on July 23 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and remanded in the Enforcement Directorate’s custody till August 5. Since then, their judicial custody has been extended twice for 28 days in total.
On Wednesday, the Enforcement Directorate demanded a custodial trial for Chatterjee saying that he was an influential person, who could tamper with evidence if released on bail, the Hindustan Times reported.
The Enforcement Directorate’s counsel also told the court that it has come across 100 bank accounts owned by Chatterjee and Mukherjee that it needs to investigate. The agency also alleged that Chatterjee was not cooperating during the questioning.
Judge Jibon Kumar Sadhu granted permission to the Enforcement Directorate to interrogate the two accused persons in their correctional homes.
The case
Chatterjee was the state education minister in 2018 when jobs were allegedly given to candidates in return for money instead of candidates who had qualified in the recruitment process.
The Enforcement Directorate inquiry is based on a first information report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation. On June 15, the Calcutta High Court asked the investigation agency to look into alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Group C and Group D staff, assistant teachers of Class 9 to Class 12, and primary teachers.
On July 28, Chatterjee was stripped of his party and ministerial responsibilities.
Chatterjee was the Trinamool Congress’ general secretary for nearly two decades and was appointed as the national vice president earlier this year. He is also the first minister to be sacked from the Cabinet after the party won the 2021 Assembly elections.
