kolkata

IIE DIGITAL DESK : After months of uncertainty and a long legal battle, former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee finally returned to his Naktala home on Tuesday, ending more than three and a half years of incarceration. Though he had secured bail in multiple cases, his homecoming remained uncertain as he was undergoing medical treatment in a city hospital. The moment doctors cleared him to be discharged, all barriers were lifted, and he headed home under considerable public attention.

The controversy around Partha Chatterjee began in 2022 during the explosive SSC recruitment scam investigation. A massive amount of cash was recovered by the Enforcement Directorate during raids at the residences of Chatterjee and his close associate Arpita Mukherjee. The arrests shocked the political landscape of West Bengal. Arpita Mukherjee was arrested first, and Chatterjee followed soon after as central agency officers brought corruption charges against both of them.

As the CBI later took over the recruitment scam probe, they issued a “shown arrest” order against Chatterjee, bringing him formally under custodial detention in their case as well. Since then, the former minister had been lodged in the Presidency Correctional Home. Over the months, he repeatedly applied for bail, citing health complications, but the legal roadblocks persisted.

After a long wait, the Supreme Court granted him bail in the ED case. Later, lower courts extended bail to him in other related cases. Yet, despite these developments, Chatterjee remained behind bars, as the CBI’s case still restricted his release. Only in September this year did he finally secure bail in the CBI matter, raising hopes that his freedom was imminent. But those hopes were again stalled due to strict conditions imposed by the Supreme Court.

The apex court had ruled that in order for Chatterjee to walk free, the CBI special court must first frame charges in the SSC Group C, Class IX–X, and Class XI–XII recruitment cases. Additionally, the court set a crucial deadline: eight witness depositions had to be completed by November 14. Without this progress, the minister’s release would remain pending.

On Monday, the eighth deposition was finally recorded before the special court. With the condition fulfilled, Chatterjee’s legal team immediately appealed for his release. The court agreed and issued the release order to both Presidency Jail and the hospital where he had been admitted.

Hospital authorities, after receiving confirmation from the court and reviewing his health condition, approved his discharge. Supporters of Chatterjee had already gathered in anticipation of his return, carrying posters declaring their loyalty. One of the most visible placards read: “We want Partha Chatterjee in Behala West.”

At around 2.45 pm, Partha Chatterjee was brought out of the hospital in a wheelchair. Emotional yet restrained, he told reporters he would not be making any statements for now. From there, he was taken straight to his Naktala residence, where supporters and neighbors had prepared to welcome him after his prolonged absence.

For Chatterjee, who has maintained his innocence throughout the investigation, this marks a significant moment in a long and exhausting legal ordeal. Although the trials are far from over, his return home after years in judicial custody signals a turning point in one of Bengal’s most widely discussed corruption cases in recent memory.