Bengal school job case: CBI questioning Partha Chatterjee at correctional home

Kolkata, Oct 15 (IANS) A team of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials reached Presidency Central Correctional Home in south Kolkata on Tuesday to question former West Bengal Education Minister and the Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee in connection with the multi-crore cash-for-school job case in the state.

Chatterjee, who was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials in July 2022, has been in judicial custody.

On October 1, he was presented at the special court in Kolkata by the CBI and following the permission of the court, he was shown as arrested. However, the agency did not seek Chatterjee’s custody.

Now, after the Durga Puja is over, the CBI has become active in the matter again which is evident from Chatterjee’s fresh interrogation on Tuesday afternoon.

On October 1, another accused in the case and private promoter Ayan Shil was also shown as arrested by CBI following the permission of the special court. Shil was also originally arrested by the ED officials in March 2023.

Chatterjee was arrested after the central agencies found cash amounting to over Rs 50 crore, gold in the form of bars, biscuits, and ornaments from the twin residences of his close associate and actress Arpita Mukherjee, who was also arrested then.

Like Chatterjee, she is also in judicial custody since then.

Meanwhile, Chatterjee’s counsel has moved a bail plea on behalf of his client at Calcutta High Court. Although the hearing in the matter has been completed before the Durga Puja, the division bench of Justice Arijit Bandopadhyay and Justice Apurba Sinha Roy has kept the verdict reserved so far.

Earlier this month, Chatterjee had to be admitted to the jail hospital after he complained of uneasiness. However, he recovered soon.

Last month, the Calcutta High Court granted bail to Trinamool Congress legislator and the West Bengal Board of Primary Education's former President Manik Bhattacharya, who was in judicial custody after being arrested by the ED in October 2022 in connection with the school jobs case.

--IANS

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