SC grants future bail to ex WB minister Partha Chatterjee in case related to cash-for-job scam
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday granted conditional future bail to former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee in a money laundering case related to the cash-for-job scam.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan said that Chatterjee shall be released on February 1, 2025 subject to the trial court framing charges before the winter vacation and examination of vulnerable witnesses by the second and third week of January 2025.
The top court said upon his release Chatterjee shall not hold any public office but can continue as MLA.
The bench said that a suspect cannot be detained indefinitely and, therefore, it has to balance the rights of the accused and the victims.
On December 4, the top court had reserved its verdict on his bail plea and told him that, "On the face of it you are a corrupt person. Crores of rupees were recovered from your premises."
The top court in October issued a notice to the ED on the appeal filed by Chatterjee against an April 30 Calcutta High Court order denying him a bail on the grounds that a prima facie case was established against him under the PMLA.
Chatterjee was arrested in connection with the alleged irregularities in recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided primary schools.
The politician and his alleged close aide Arpita Mukherjee were arrested by the ED in connection with its probe into the money trail in the alleged illegal recruitments.
The ED claimed to have recovered Rs 49.80 crore in cash, apart from jewellery, gold bars from flats owned by Mukherjee, besides documents of properties and a company in joint holdings.
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Man arrested for for raping mute woman in Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur (PTI): One person was arrested on the charge of raping a 30-year-old woman with speech impairment in Jamshedpur, a police officer said on Tuesday.
The incident occurred in the Azadnagar police station area of the city, and a case in this regard was registered based on the statement of the victim's brother on Monday.
The victim had gone to fetch water from the premises of a company on Monday evening. When she did not return even after a considerable time, family members went out in search of her and caught the accused red-handed, police said.
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The accused was a caretaker of the company.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Patamda) Bachandeo Kujjur said due to scarcity of water in the area, the victim used to fetch water from the premises of the company.
