Amid row over TMC leaders’ release in scam cases, Mamata faces a key question: their future

Questioning the release of the TMC activists and leaders from jail in these cases, the CPM and the Congress have hit out at the TMC as well as the principal Opposition BJP – which rules the Centre – alleging a nexus between them. They have targeted the central agencies for allegedly not probing the scams properly to ensure speedy punishment of the accused.

Both the TMC and the BJP have attributed their release to the “legal process”.

However, two former TMC ministers and party heavyweights, Partha Chatterjee and Jyotipriya Mallick, have still been in jail after being arrested in connection with the school jobs scam and the ration scam, respectively, several months ago.

In July 2022, then TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee was arrested in the school jobs scam by the ED, which also arrested Chatterjee’s associate Arpita Mukherjee and recovered over Rs 50 crore from her flats in Kolkata.

While Calcutta High Court has now reserved its order on Partha’s bail plea, three other accused in the case including Arpita, Kuntal Ghosh and Manik Bhattacharya have already been out on bail.

In the ration scam too, some of the accused including Bakibur Rehman, Shankar Adhya and Biswajit Das have been released on bail.

Arpita was granted bail by a special ED court in Kolkata in November this year.

Suspended TMC youth leader Kuntal Ghosh was granted bail in both the CBI and ED cases. On 20 November, the high court gave Kuntal bail in the ED case. On 29 November, the Supreme Court granted bail to him in the CBI case too, reportedly saying that it is not likely that the trial will be completed in the near future in the case in which Kuntal had been in custody for 19 months.

In September, the high court granted bail to TMC MLA Manik Bhattacharya. Three accused in the ration scam, Bakibur, Shankar and Biswajit, were granted bail by the special PMLA court in Kolkata in August this year.

The ED arrested Bakibur, a businessman, on October 13 last year, which led to the arrest of then TMC minister Jyotipriya Mallick on October 27. Adhya, a close associate of Mallick and former Bongaon municipality chairman, was held by the ED on January 6 this year, while businessman Biswajit, accused of allegedly laundering scam money, was arrested on February 14.

On July 27 this year, a prime accused in the cattle smuggling scam Anubrata Mondal, TMC strongman and its Birbhum district president, was granted bail by the apex court in the CBI case. On September 20, he got the bail by a Delhi court in the ED case too.

Mondal was arrested by the CBI in the cattle scam case in August 2022. Popularly known as Kestoda, he has been one of close aides of TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

While Partha and Jyotipriya were suspended from the TMC following their arrests, Anubrata has not faced any disciplinary action from the party.

Referring to the release of the TMC leaders on bail in various scams,

CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty said, “I don’t know what is happening. How is everybody getting bail. Why in every case central agencies are delaying investigations. Either they have forgotten how to investigate or political reasons have taken precedence over investigations.”

Congress leader Soumya Aich Roy alleged, “TMC has tacit understanding with BJP. TMC is supporting BJP on Adani and other issues, maintaining silence over them – and BJP is saving TMC leaders from the scams. This is now evident.”

However, defending her party, BJP leader Agnimitra Paul said: “These investigations are going on under the supervision of the courts, which are giving bail. But their (accused) getting bail doesn’t mean that they have been pronounced innocent. Their prosecution will continue. We have faith in CBI and are sure that if they are guilty, they will get punishment.”
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said, “Bail is a legal subject. You can’t keep in custody a person for an indefinite period. But the court decides when that person is eligible to get bail. We have no role in it.”

The release of the TMC leaders and MLAs or ex-ministers from jail is likely to have a bearing on the party. Some TMC insiders however insist that the leadership would make a distinction as to “who will or will not be rehabilitated in the party, with the final call to be taken by Mamata Banerjee herself”.

A senior TMC leader close to Mamata said: “These leaders are accused in different scams. Some have been suspended from the party, some had not been. Anubrata Mondol is once again playing his part in Birbhum politics after his release. But he remained Birbhum district president even when he went to jail, although Mamata formed a core committee to take care of the organisation there. However, such a treatment may not be given to all. It depends on our party chief.”

TMC insiders also pointed out that prominent leaders like Partha and Jyotipriyo, despite their long incarceration, still hold significant clout in the organisation in their respective belts and are expected to make attempts for a comeback in the party. This is significant since Bengal is due for the Assembly polls in March-April 2026.

“Mamata Banerjee has made it clear that she is the last word in the party. In her recent moves, she has also ensured that the party old-timers are given respectable positions in the government or the organisation. None of the accused have been convicted by the courts, so they would definitely try to regain their erstwhile standing in the party,” said a senior TMC MP.