West Bengal School Jobs For Cash Scam: Supreme Court Directs Special Court To Hear And Decide Kuntal Ghosh’s Bail Plea In 10 Days

Today (October 01, 2024, Tuesday), the Supreme Court (SC) of India was hearing a petition filed by Trinamool Congress (TNC) youth leader Kuntal Ghosh opposing a fresh hearing of his bail plea by a new judge after a significant hearing had taken place before the preceding judge. The two-judge bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan directed a West Bengal Special Court to hear and decide Ghosh’s bail plea in 10 days. In January 2024, he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case related to the school jobs for cash scam in West Bengal. In his plea before the SC, Ghosh said, “The transfer of a bail application to another court or judge, after a substantial hearing has already taken place, resulting in the necessity for a de-novo hearing and fresh consideration by the new judge in a case where the trail has even not commenced, constitutes a violation of the fundamental right to a speedy trial guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.” After hearing the matter, the bench also sought a response from the ED on Kuntal Ghosh’s writ petition today and listed the matter for further hearing on October 17, 2024. The order of the top court reads, “Issue notice, returnable on...meanwhile, the special court is directed to take up the bail matter of the petitioner, if need be on day-to-day basis, and decide the same within 10 days and send a compliance report.”