The framing of charges in the cash-for-school job case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is expected to be completed on December 23 at a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Kolkata, stated a report by ANI.
However, the process may face delays if the ED fails to ensure the physical presence of all accused individuals mentioned in the agency's charge sheets.
According to sources, the presence of the two accused, Sujay Krishna Bhadra and Kalyanmoy Bhattacharya, remains uncertain. Bhattacharya, the son-in-law of former West Bengal Education Minister and Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee, is currently settled abroad with his wife, Sohini Bhattacharya Chatterjee, Partha Chatterjee’s daughter.
Sources indicated that Bhattacharya's local counsel has already informed the court about his arrangements to travel to India and be present at the court on Monday, December 23.
Bhadra's attendance is uncertain due to his recent history of citing medical grounds for skipping court appearances. Currently in the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is conducting a parallel probe into the school job case, Bhadra was recently shown as arrested by the CBI in connection with the case.
Out of the 54 individuals and entities listed as accused by the ED in the school job case, 29 are individuals, while 25 are entities, corporations, or trusts.
As per protocol, all 29 accused individuals must be physically present in court during the framing of charges, while representatives for the accused entities are also required to attend.
Once the charges are framed, the trial process will commence, with indications from the special court suggesting the trial will be conducted daily.
