The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected former chairman of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education and Trinamool Congress MLA Manik Bhattacharya’s plea challenging his arrest by the ED in a money laundering matter relating to the alleged irregularities in primary teachers’ appointments.
A bench of justices Aniruddha Bose and Vikram Nath on Tuesday reserved the order on Manik Bhattacharya’s plea. Manik Bhattacharya, in his plea, submitted that the investigating officer of the Directorate of Enforcement had filed a remand application before the Special Judge (CBI-I) Court, City Sessions Court, Calcutta, seeking a 14-day custodial remand of the petitioner on October 11 and that the arrest was effective during the currency of the protection orders passed by the top court.
The petitioner cited an earlier Supreme Court order in the alleged irregularities in primary teachers’ appointments matter being investigated by the CBI, in which he was granted interim protection from arrest.
The petitioner, Manik Bhattacharya, has urged the top court to declare the arrest of the petitioner in relation to proceedings initiated on the basis of ECIR and summons dated October 14, 2022, issued by the Directorate of Enforcement, Kolkata-II Zonal Office, as illegal and to release the petitioner forthwith in connection with the matter.
The Enforcement Directorate has earlier told the Supreme Court that former chairman of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education and Trinamool Congress leader Manik Bhattacharya was a key person in a money laundering case relating to the alleged irregularities in primary teachers’ appointments.
ED submitted, “Investigation under PMLA has revealed the role of Dr Manik Bhattacharya, ex. President of WBBPE and MLA, Palashipara, and Nadia from TMC as one of the key persons in the entire scam of offering jobs in lieu of money.”
ED, in its affidavit, also said that it has been ascertained that Manik headed the West Bengal Board of Primary Education for a period of more than 10 years starting in 2011, during which more than 58,000 primary teachers were recruited through the Board.
In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, ED has opposed the Manik Bhattacharya plea challenging his arrest in a money laundering case as the probe agency submitted that Manik Bhattacharya has remained uncooperative during the course of statements recorded under section 50 of PMLA, 2002 and has continuously tried to mislead the investigation by suppressing facts and details on the source of funds accumulated in the name of his family members.
The probe agency also said that the investigation in respect of other high-value transactions is required to be done to unearth the money trail and to identify the proceeds of the crime.
ED also mentioned the seizing of huge cash of more than 50 crore (approximately) during the searches conducted in the month of July 2022. Two people, namely Partha Chatterjee, the then Education Minister of the State of West Bengal, and Arpita Mukherjee, were arrested on July 23, 2022. Manik Bhattacharyya, ex-President of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education, was consequently arrested on October 10.
Manik Bhattacharyya has challenged his arrest before the Supreme Court.