In a significant development in the multi-crore West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment scam, the Supreme Court of India on Monday granted bail to former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee, nearly three years after his arrest in July 2022. The decision was delivered by a bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and NK Singh, which also granted bail to two other senior officials accused in the case—Subiresh Bhattacharya and Shantiprasad Sinha, both of whom allegedly played active roles in the education recruitment irregularities.

Partha Chatterjee, once a senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and a key member of the West Bengal cabinet, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allegedly orchestrating one of the largest recruitment scams in the state’s education sector—often referred to as the cash-for-jobs scandal. Following his arrest in July 2022, Chatterjee was immediately removed from his ministerial responsibilities and suspended from the TMC amid public outrage and mounting political pressure.

CBI Opposed Bail, Terming Him “Mastermind”

Opposing the bail plea, the CBI contended that Partha Chatterjee served as the “mastermind” behind the entire recruitment scam and presided over a systematic manipulation of the recruitment processes within both the West Bengal Central School Service Commission (WBSSC) and the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).

According to the investigative agency, top-level appointments—including roles such as Secretary, Chairman and President of education boards—were allegedly approved directly by Chatterjee, enabling him to influence hiring decisions to favour select candidates. The CBI argued that Dr. Sharmila Mitra, then Chairperson of WBSSC, was illegally removed and replaced with Prof. Saumitra Sarkar, supposedly on the basis of a hand-written bio-data.

The CBI further claimed before the Apex Court that Chatterjee, who held the education portfolio for more than a decade, continues to wield significant political influence and expressed concern that his release could result in tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses as the probe continues. They also emphasised that several aspects of the investigation remain incomplete, and that bail at this stage could adversely impact the course of justice.

Court Grants Bail to All Three Accused

Despite these concerns raised by the CBI, the Supreme Court decided to grant bail to Partha Chatterjee, Subiresh Bhattacharya, and Shantiprasad Sinha, noting that the accused had already spent a substantial amount of time in custody. While the detailed order will clarify the conditions of bail, the Court is understood to have placed certain restrictions intended to ensure non-interference in the investigation, including limitations on travel and direct or indirect contact with witnesses.

The West Bengal SSC recruitment scam has remained under intense public and political scrutiny ever since the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and CBI raids in 2022 allegedly unearthed large amounts of cash, gold and property documents, prompting suspicions that job aspirants were forced to pay large sums for appointments in state-run schools.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Supreme Court’s decision to grant bail to former minister Partha Chatterjee marks an important milestone in the ongoing CBI investigation into the West Bengal SSC recruitment scam. While the agency maintains that Chatterjee masterminded the cash-for-jobs racket, the Court has decided that continued incarceration is not necessary at this stage.
With the case still under active investigation and significant material yet to be examined, the coming months will be critical in determining how the prosecution proceeds and whether the allegations—including manipulation of recruitment procedures and political misuse of authority—can be substantiated in court.
The bail order is likely to influence political discourse in West Bengal, where the scandal has already had far-reaching political ramifications for the Trinamool Congress and the state’s education administration.

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