Charge-framing process in primary recruitment scam case starts
Kolkata: The Special PMLA Court in Bankshall Court complex on Thursday started the procedure for framing charges against the 54 accused persons in the primary recruitment scam case, including the former minister Partha Chatterjee.
On Thursday all the accused were produced at the court as directed by the magistrate. At the hearing, Chatterjee filed a discharge petition.
The hearing of this petition is scheduled to be held on Friday. On Friday, a few other accused persons are likely to file discharge petitions as well. After the conclusion of the discharge petition the charges will be framed. Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was reprimanded by the Special PMLA Court on Tuesday for failing to submit documents that were necessary for framing of charges in the primary recruitment scam case.
On December 13, the Supreme Court Division Bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan granted bail to Partha Chatterjee, observing that undertrial incarceration should not amount to punitive detention and a suspect cannot be kept in custody indefinitely. The Bench directed the trial court to pronounce its order on the framing of charges in the money laundering case before the commencement of winter vacations or latest by December 31, 2024.
On Monday at the hearing, the framing of charges was delayed due to not having the proper documents that were necessary for the procedure. Accordingly, the magistrate directed the ED to complete the documentation process and charge framing will be done on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the ED officials were reprimanded by the magistrate and was directed to work throughout the night of Tuesday to complete the documentation process.
After ED handed over the documents to all the parties and also submitted before the court on Wednesday, the charge framing process commenced from Thursday.
