Calcutta High Court Grants Regular Bail to ‘Kalighater Kaku’ in CBI Case

KOLKATA, December 5, 2025 — Sujoy Krishna Bhadra, popularly known as “#KalighaterKaku” (“Uncle from Kalighat”) due to his alleged proximity to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) top leadership, has been granted regular bail by the Calcutta High Court in connection with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s probe into the multi-crore cash-for-jobs scam. The ruling by a one-judge court comprising Justice Subhra Ghosh has attracted a lot of criticism. Many regard it as the other instance of a high-profile suspect getting away with a lengthy gaol term in the most scrutinised corruption scandal in West Bengal. With a view of being one of the prime accused by central agencies, Bhadra was placed under virtual house arrest as early as February 2025. This came after a conditional interim bail on medical grounds on the CBI case. Prior to this, he had also bailed out in an identical case, which is under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is investigating the money trail. On 30 May 2023, the ED arrested Bhadra over his alleged non-cooperation with the investigation, and was later arrested by the CBI.  

The string of bails begs the most important questions concerning the speed and efficiency of justice system in case of influential people.

Bhadra faces allegations of aiding the appointment of teachers and other personnel in state schools in 2014-2021 illegally. The CBI estimated that bribes between 5 and 15 lakh had to be paid by the middlemen to get each job. The funds were transferred through various channels, one of them being a company that had connexions with a reputable TMC MP. Bhadra himself, in a 2024 TV interview, acknowledged that he had been employed since 2009 in the office of Abhishek Banerjee, the TMC MP, and nephew of the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying, Abhishek Banerjee is my saheb (boss). This connexion has caused opposition parties to believe that the scandal is a high politics issue. A second audio clip in which Bhadra allegedly told 15 crore were required to make illegal appointments was also mentioned in a supplemental charge sheet prepared by the CBI.

Other high profile faces have been included in the investigation including those of former West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and his aide Arpita Mukherjee who spent many years in gaol. Their prolonged incarceration in comparison with the recent series of successful bail requests submitted by Bhadra have attracted legal scholars and political oppressors.

While granting regular bail, the High Court imposed several stringent conditions aimed at preventing interference with the ongoing probe.

• Bhadra cannot leave Kolkata and must surrender his passport.
• He is required to report to the investigating officer once every week.
• He must provide his mobile numbers to both the CBI and the court, and tampering with evidence is strictly prohibited.
• The judge warned that any breach of these conditions would result in immediate cancellation of the bail by the lower court.

Despite these restrictions, concerns are widespread that a man at the heart of such a large-scale scandal, with access to powerful political networks, might find ways to influence witnesses or temper with the evidence. The CBI had prior to this been against his bail due to his involvement in the primary teachers recruitment issue. There were also repeated problems with gathering his voice samples earlier this year by the central agency, a fact that highlights a pattern of non-cooperation. As the major accused are already on bail and the trial in the ED case is already in progress, it is now a question of whether the prosecution is able to deliver a conviction in a case that has rocked the very foundation of the education system and politics in West Bengal.