Supreme Court Questions Prolonged Detention of Ex-Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee

The court raised concerns over the Enforcement Directorate's low conviction rate and delayed trial in the teacher recruitment scam case.

Partha Chatterjee, former West Bengal education minister, has been in custody for over two years without the trial commencing.
The Supreme Court criticized the Enforcement Directorate's low conviction rate in money laundering cases and questioned the prolonged pre-trial detention.
Chatterjee, accused of corruption in a teacher recruitment scam, faces allegations tied to ₹50 crore in cash recovered from his aide Arpita Mukherjee's residence.
His legal team argued that pre-trial detention has become punitive, citing Chatterjee's age, medical conditions, and the delayed trial with over 183 witnesses yet to be examined.
The court will revisit the bail plea on December 2, considering both the gravity of the charges and the extended pre-trial incarceration.