SC tags Partha Chatterjee's bail plea with co-accused in West Bengal's cash-for-jobs scam
New Delhi, May 8 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Wednesday tagged the bail application of former West Bengal minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader, Partha Chatterjee, with a pending matter involving a co-accused in the high-profile multi-crore West Bengal's cash-for-jobs scam, while scheduling the next hearing for July 17.
Appearing for Chatterjee, the counsel submitted that the trial had stalled and opposed the separation of his client's proceedings from those of the co-accused.
'He is bedridden and cannot even walk,' the lawyer argued, emphasising Chatterjee's deteriorating health condition.
However, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju strongly opposed the plea, stating, 'He was a minister, this is a serious case. He is neck-deep in corruption. Genuine candidates were denied jobs while only those who paid were recruited.'
He further said that a hospital was favouring high-profile accused and that the former minister was medically fit.
The bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sanjiv Khanna, questioned the delay in listing the bail matter, asking, 'Why is the bail matter posted for July?'
The ASG replied by citing the involvement of multiple co-accused and the gravity of the charges, including misuse of official position and corruption.
The court noted that a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by a co-accused against the same Calcutta High Court orders dated November 20 and December 24, 2023, was already scheduled for July 2025.
Consequently, the apex court directed that Chatterjee's petition be tagged with the existing matter and heard jointly on July 17, 2025.
In a significant procedural directive, the bench also ordered the Chief Secretary of West Bengal to take a decision on sanctioning prosecution against the co-accused within two weeks, emphasising that neither the State nor the co-accused were parties before the Court at this stage.
'We have not expressed any opinion on merits but directed the needful to ensure the facilitation of trial,' the court observed.
During the hearing, Justice Khanna expressed concern over inconsistent and verbose rulings in bail matters from the High Courts.
'In bail matters, High Courts are writing lengthy judgments and delivering divergent views? What is happening, Mr Raju?' he questioned.
To avoid multiplicity of proceedings, the bench also directed the Supreme Court Registry to tag any future SLPs filed against the same High Court orders with the present case.
The cash-for-jobs scam continues to draw national attention due to its political ramifications, with multiple leaders and bureaucrats under investigation for alleged recruitment irregularities in West Bengal's public sector hiring process.
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