Manik Bhattacharya gets conditional bail in recruitement scam

Trinamool MLA and former president of the Primary Education Board, Manik Bhattacharya, was granted bail on Thursday by the Calcutta High Court in the recruitment corruption case. High Court Justice Shubra Ghosh granted him bail, but it comes with four strict conditions.

Bhattacharya must provide his mobile number to the investigating officer, submit his passport to the lower court, refrain from contacting or influencing any witnesses, and seek permission from the investigating officer before leaving the jurisdiction.

Manik Bhattacharya was initially arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2022 and has been in jail ever since. Although the CBI was involved in the investigation, they did not arrest him, and Manik had already received protection from arrest through a Supreme Court order.

During Thursday's hearing, Bhattacharya, who participated via video conference from jail, became emotional, especially after the ED referenced statements from his younger brother. Manik tearfully pleaded with the court not to consider these statements in the bail decision.

Bhattacharya expressed frustration with the ED's prolonged investigation, alleging that despite claims of ongoing inquiries, no concrete evidence had been presented against him. His earlier appeal for bail to the Supreme Court was denied, but he was allowed to reapply to the High Court.

His wife, Shatarupa Bhattacharya, and son, Shouvik Bhattacharya, were also arrested in the same recruitment corruption case but have since been granted bail by higher courts. Despite his release, Bhattacharya will remain under strict scrutiny as the investigation continues.