The Supreme Court on Wednesday delivered a stern rebuke to former West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, involved in an alleged cash-for-job scam, stating, “On the face of it you are a corrupt person. Crores of rupees were recovered from your premises.” The remark came during a hearing where the bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan reserved their judgment on Chatterjee’s bail plea.
Chatterjee, once a prominent figure in the West Bengal government, faced intense scrutiny from the bench as they questioned his eligibility for bail, citing the massive sums of money linked to him. Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Chatterjee, argued that unlike his client, all other co-accused in the case had been granted bail, with one receiving bail just a week prior.
Justice Kant challenged this comparison due to Chatterjee’s high-ranking position, stating, “Not everyone was a minister, Mr. Rohatgi. You were at the top. You can’t seek parity with others.” The conversation highlighted the unique implications of Chatterjee’s role in the allegations against him.
Further complicating matters for Chatterjee, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED), mentioned that even if bail were granted in this case, Chatterjee would remain in custody due to ongoing CBI cases against him. This led to an impassioned response from Rohatgi, who criticized the remark as indicative of a “sadistic pleasure.”
During the proceedings, Rohatgi clarified that the money was not recovered directly from Chatterjee but from premises belonging to a company over which Chatterjee had significant control, along with Arpita Mukherjee, an alleged close aide. The bench, however, noted Chatterjee’s de facto control over the company and the suspicious timing of the acquisitions, stating, “After becoming minister, you placed dummy persons.”
The bench is now tasked with deciding whether releasing Chatterjee could potentially impact the ongoing investigation. They must consider appropriate conditions for his release, acknowledging that he cannot be indefinitely detained without trial.
