Calcutta HC grants bail to close confidant of former WB Education Minister Partha Chatterjee in teachers recruitment case

Kolkata, Nov 10 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court on Monday granted bail to Santu Gangopadhyay, a private promoter and close confidant of West Bengal's former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, in the primary teachers recruitment corruption case.

Gangopadhyay had allegedly taken money from several people in the name of providing teaching jobs in state-run primary schools.

A single bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh granted him bail, subject to conditions. It is learnt that this bail was granted on a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh.

Gangopadhyay got bail before the release of former Education Minister Chatterjee from judicial custody.

The process of taking evidence in this case in the lower court is ending on Monday, and Chatterjee will be released from the Presidency Correctional Home only after this process is completed. He has already got bail in all the cases related to recruitment corruption.

During the hearing in the court, the lawyers, appearing on behalf of Gangopadhyay, argued that his name is not in the first and second charge sheets of the primary teacher recruitment corruption case. The name of the complainant is in the second supplementary charge sheet. He has been in custody for more than 13 months. Several accused in this case have already got bail. Therefore, the lawyers asked what the reason was for keeping him in judicial custody for so long.

Lawyers, appearing on behalf of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), argued that Gangopadhyay has taken money from 51 people illegally in the name of providing teaching jobs. More than Rs 1 crore has been recovered from his bank account. The central investigation agency claimed that Gangopadhyay worked as a 'sub agent'. Like other arrested persons in the scam, such as Kuntal Ghosh and Tapas Mandal, Gangopadhyay also used to hand over money to the higher-ups and had direct contact with Chatterjee. The CBI argued that if Gangopadhyay is released, he can influence the witnesses.

Justice Ghosh, however, wanted to know whether another accused businessman in the case, Ayan Sil, got bail in this case. As the lawyers said that he had got bail, the judge granted bail to Gangopadhyay, who was arrested by the CBI in November last year.

--IANS

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