The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the CBI on former Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee in connection with the case against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

“Issue notice… list the matter on March 20, 2025,” a bench of Justices Surya Kant and N.K. Singh said in a terse order while granting the CBI time to file its response within four weeks.

Chatterjee who is facing a parallel probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act by the ED, in connection with the allegations of corruption in school recruitments, was earlier granted bail by the apex court on December 13. The court had noted that he had been incarcerated for over two years.

Though granted bail in the ED case, Chatterjee continues to be in prison in the CBI case and has now approached the top court for bail.

On December 13, the apex court directed Chaterjee’s release in the alleged Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) scandal being probed by the ED
with several conditions, including that he be released on February 1, 2025, after the principal prosecution witnesses who have expressed apprehensions to their safety are examined; that he shall not be appointed to public office and that the bail shall be cancelled in case he tries to prolong the trial.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan had passed the directions at that time while allowing an appeal by Chatterjee pleading that he has been incarcerated for more than two years, is 72 years old, and that the trial was not likely to conclude in the near future.

The ED had at that time opposed his bail on the ground that Chatterjee was facing serious corruption and money laundering cases and even if he was granted bail, he would continue to be in jail in the CBI case.