The Supreme Court is set to hear the bail plea of former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, who is currently in custody under allegations of money laundering related to a high-profile education appointment scandal. The hearing is scheduled to take place in one week.
During the proceedings, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) requested additional time to respond to the Supreme Court’s notice. A bench comprising Justice Suryakant and Justice Ujjwal Bhuiyan is overseeing the case. Previously, the Kolkata High Court denied Chatterjee bail, prompting his appeal to the Supreme Court.
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Chatterjee’s lawyer referenced the bail granted to former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and others during the High Court hearing in an effort to bolster his case. Chatterjee has been incarcerated at the Presidency Central Jail for over two years since his arrest by the ED in July 2022.
The ED has filed a chargesheet against Chatterjee and Arpita Mukhopadhyay, who is reportedly close to him. The 172-page chargesheet names six companies as accused through their directors, with the ED estimating the total value of movable and immovable assets involved at Rs 48.22 crore.
This figure is in addition to Rs 49.80 crore seized from two flats owned by Mukhopadhyay in Kolkata, along with jewellery worth over Rs 5 crore. To date, the ED has seized assets valued at Rs 103.10 crore in connection with the case.
