Kolkata, Nov 10 (IANS) Former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee was finally released from judicial custody on Monday.

On Monday, the special CBI court judge ordered that Chatterjee be released from Presidency Correctional Home.

Once the court documents reach the Chief Judicial Officer, there should be no further obstacles to the former State Education Minister being released from judicial custody.

Chatterjee, who is currently undergoing treatment for various health ailments in a hospital in Kolkata, virtually participated in the court hearing from there on Monday.

He was seen laughing after hearing the court order to release him from judicial custody.

However, the process of release may be completed by Tuesday.

In that case, Chatterjee will return home on Tuesday, after spending three years, three months and 18 days in custody of several Central probe agencies.

The former Minister was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in July 2022 for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore SSC teacher recruitment scam.

On the day of Chatterjee’s arrest in 2022, the ED had unearthed Rs 20 crore in cash from the house of his close associate Arpita Mukherjee, who was also arrested in the same case.

The Central investigation agency also seized incriminating documents relating to 12 immovable properties linked to his close associates, as well as paperwork related to the appointment of Group-D staff in schools.

Since then, Chatterjee has been in ED, CBI and judicial custody and sometimes in the hospital for medical treatment.

In September this year, the Calcutta High Court granted bail to Chatterjee who has been in ED custody, later in CBI custody before being sent to judicial custody over the course of last three years.

Despite the bail order, Chatterjee could not be released immediately due to a Supreme Court directive issued on August 18.

A division bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and N. Kotiswar Singh had granted bail in a separate CBI case concerning appointment irregularities in state-aided schools but ordered Chatterjee’s release only after the trial court completes the examination of material witnesses within two months.

The apex court had also directed that charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act be framed within four weeks and witness statements be recorded within two months.

The top court also ordered the final bail to be granted by completing the first phase of testimony by November 14.

After that, the CBI Special Court Judge began the trial process by framing the charges in the case.

The lower court decided that the testimony of eight people would be taken in the first phase.

The names of eight witnesses were proposed by the CBI.

The testimony of the eighth witness ended on Monday.

–IANS

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