NewsBytes
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    More
    In the news
    Narendra Modi
    Amit Shah
    Box Office Collection
    Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
    OTT releases
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    NewsBytes
    User Placeholder

    Hi,

    Logout

    India
    Business
    World
    Politics
    Sports
    Technology
    Entertainment
    Auto
    Lifestyle
    Inspirational
    Career
    Bengaluru
    Delhi
    Mumbai

    Download Android App

    Follow us on
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    Home / News / India News / 'How long?': SC slams ED for incarcerating ex-minister without trial 
    Summarize
    Next Article
    'How long?': SC slams ED for incarcerating ex-minister without trial 
    Chatterjee has been in custody for over 2 years

    'How long?': SC slams ED for incarcerating ex-minister without trial 

    By Chanshimla Varah
    Nov 27, 2024
    06:12 pm

    What's the story

    The Supreme Court has raised concerns over the prolonged detention of former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee without trial.

    Chatterjee has been in custody for more than two years in connection with a money laundering case allegedly involving bribery in the recruitment of Assistant Primary Teachers in West Bengal.

    The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, was hearing the petition filed by Chatterjee seeking bail in the money laundering case.

    Bail hearing

    'How long can we keep him?': SC

    During the hearing, Justice Kant asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED), "How long can we keep him? That is the question."

    The court observed that Chatterjee's trial had not even started despite 183 witnesses being involved.

    Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Chatterjee, contended that his client had been in jail since July 23, 2022, and was suffering from medical conditions at the age of 73.

    Health concerns

    Chatterjee's health and legal arguments presented in court

    Rohatgi emphasized that Chatterjee had already completed over one-third of the maximum sentence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

    He cited Section 479 of BNSS 2023, which permits bail to undertrials after one-third of their possible sentence.

    The court was inclined to grant bail but adjourned the hearing to December 2 to obtain further details about Chatterjee's custody in related Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) cases.

    Bail opposition

    Opposition to bail plea and concerns over trial delay

    Opposing the bail plea, Additional Solicitor General S V cited "rampant corruption" impacting over 50,000 candidates.

    He contended that Chatterjee was influential and could tamper with witnesses if released.

    But the bench expressed concern over the delay in the trial's commencement and remarked on the ED's poor conviction rate.

    Justice Bhuyan said, "What is your conviction rate? If it is 60-70%, we can understand. But it is very poor."

    Notice issued

    SC's notice to ED and Chatterjee's political fallout

    The Supreme Court had earlier sent a notice to the ED after Chatterjee appealed against an April 30 Calcutta High Court order denying him bail.

    The ED claims to have recovered huge cash and assets in connection with illegal recruitments from properties belonging to Mukherjee.

    After his arrest, Chatterjee was relieved of his ministerial duties by the Mamata Banerjee government and ousted from all party posts by the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

    Facebook
    Whatsapp
    Twitter
    Linkedin
    Related News
    Latest
    Calcutta High Court
    Enforcement Directorate (ED)
    Mamata Banerjee
    Partha Chatterjee

    Latest

    Ruben Amorim dismisses Manchester United exit rumors: Details here Manchester United
    Tottenham's Kulusevski undergoes knee surgery ahead of Europa League final UEFA Europa League
    Rasmus Hojlund vs Dominic Solanke: Decoding their Europa League campaigns Rasmus Hojlund
    England's Archer, Curran and Overton won't feature in IPL remainder Jofra Archer

    Calcutta High Court

    Doctor rape-murder: Kolkata college students protest Dr Ghosh's appointment High Court
    CBI to probe Kolkata doctor's rape-murder; Calcutta HC cites lapses Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI)
    Postmortem report suggests 'gangrape,' 150mg semen found: Kolkata doctor's parents  Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI)
    Kolkata doctor rape-murder: 9 arrested for vandalism at hospital Abhishek Banerjee

    Enforcement Directorate (ED)

    SC grants bail to K Kavitha in excise policy case Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI)
    AAP's Amanatullah alleges ED at his house to 'arrest him'  Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
    ED arrests AAP's Amanatullah Khan after searches at his house India
    BYJU'S auditor MSKA resigns amid unresolved financial issues BYJU'S

    Mamata Banerjee

    'No one talks about Unnao, Hathras...': Mamata on Kolkata rape-murder Hathras
    Kolkata doctor's rape-murder: CBI rules out gang-rape; Roy lone suspect Calcutta High Court
    Kolkata rape-murder: SC asks CBI to submit fresh status report  All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
    Doctors demand apology from TMC's Abhishek Banerjee over 'misleading post' West Bengal

    Partha Chatterjee

    West Bengal schools to make Bengali mandatory: Mamata Banerjee West Bengal
    Calcutta University rocked by protests after 50% students fail Education
    TMC: Show-cause notice to party MP for controversial Facebook post Trinamool Congress
    WB govt to include Vivekananda's speech in Class 9-12 syllabus West Bengal
    Indian Premier League (IPL) Celebrity Hollywood Bollywood UEFA Champions League Tennis Football Smartphones Cryptocurrency Upcoming Movies Premier League Cricket News Latest automobiles Latest Cars Upcoming Cars Latest Bikes Upcoming Tablets
    About Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Contact Us Ethical Conduct Grievance Redressal News News Archive Topics Archive Download DevBytes Find Cricket Statistics
    Follow us on
    Facebook Twitter Linkedin
    All rights reserved © NewsBytes 2025