Partha Chatterjee’s remand extended by 10 days

Former minister Partha Chatterjee’s judicial remand was extended by another 10 days on Monday in connection with alleged irregularities in the recruitment of Group C staff for government-aided schools.

The judge in the CBI Court-I, Alipore, asked the investigating officer why no action was being taken against the candidates who had allegedly paid bribes to get jobs. The judge asked how the “chain will get completed” if the candidates who paid bribes were not arrested.

The CBI said they were investigating the matter.  A lawyer for the agency said the investigation would lead to the end of the chain of the “larger conspiracy”.

Chatterjee, who has been in the custody of the agency and then in judicial remand, said in the court on Monday that he wanted justice.

“I am being maligned every day. Is it a crime to become a minister? After this, no one would want to become a minister or a public representative. I want justice,” he said. 

Lawyer Sk Salim Rahman, who is representing Chatterjee,  said his client was being “unnecessarily detained”.

“Since the chargesheet has been submitted, it can be presumed that the investigation is over. However, the agency has been opposing the bail prayers of my client in the name of further investigation,” Rahman said.

The bail petitions of former president of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, Kalyanmoy Ganguly; former secretary of the commission, Ashok Kumar Saha; and former adviser to the school service commission, Shanti Prasad Sinha, were also rejected on Monday. Their judicial remand has been extended till December 22.

The CBI sought permission to arrest Subires Bhattacharyya, former VC in connection with the case. Bhattacharyya was earlier arrested in connection with alleged irregularities in recruitments by the school service commission.

The court said Bhattacharyya would have to be produced in the court for that.