Bengal school jobs case: SC grants bail to Manik Bhattacharya’s son

The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Souvik Bhattacharya, the son of Trinamool Congress legislator and former President of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE), Manik Bhattacharya, in a money laundering case linked to the multi-crore cash-for-school-jobs case in West Bengal.

A bench of Justices Bela M. Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal ordered the release of Souvik Bhattacharya on bail.

In October 2023, the Calcutta High Court had denied bail to Souvik Bhattacharya, saying that the probe agency must be granted an opportunity to exhaust its powers relating to investigation in the alleged teachers’ recruitment scam.

During probe, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) found that Souvik Bhattacharya was actively involved in assisting his father in laundering the proceeds of crime acquired by Bhattacharya Senior out of his 'corrupt' and 'criminal' activities relating to schedule offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).