You can't claim parity with other ex-ministers: SC to Partha Chatterjee

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its judgment on a bail plea by former Trinamool minister Partha Chatterjee in a money laundering case filed by Enforcement Directorate in an alleged cash-for-jobs scam.

A bench of justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan observed that Chatterjee cannot claim parity with co-accused since they were not ministers. "On the face of it, you are a corrupt person. What message do you want us to send to society? That corrupt persons can get bail like this?," justice Kant verbally told the counsel for the former education minister.

The bench also found no force in the contention raised by Chatterjee's counsel that former ministers in other money laundering cases have been granted bail by the top court.


"There is nothing for you to claim parity. Just because a minister in Tamil Nadu got bail, you will also get (bail)? There is no association of all ministers in the country," Justice Kant added.

The bench cautioned that Chatterjee should also show restraint before claiming parity with other persons who are already out on bail in the same case. "You (Chatterjee) should be a little shy to claim parity with them. They are accused because of you ... You were the minister," the bench verbally remarked.

The SC bench clarified that "the only thing we need to examine is that if" Chatterjee's release will impact the trial.