Calcutta High Court Grants Bail To Former TMC Aide Ayan Sil In Recruitment Scam Case

The Calcutta High Court has granted bail to former TMC leader Santanu Banerjee's aide Ayan Sil in connection with the infamous cash-for-jobs recruitment scam, in which high ranking Trinamool Congress leaders were being probed by the ED and CBI.

Justice Suvra Ghosh while allowing Sil's bail plea noted that many similarly placed accused, including Banerjee himself had also been granted bail by the High Court, and that there was no scope for the trial to commence in the foreseeable future.

"The E.D. intends to rely upon voluminous evidence including 182 statements, 210 documents spanning over 20,000 pages and examine 167 witnesses to substantiate their case. The case is primarily based on documentary evidence which is in custody of the E.D. and there is no scope for the petitioner to tamper with the same. To address the apprehension of the petitioner influencing witnesses of the case, stringent conditions may be imposed upon him while releasing him on bail. It is not in dispute that the petitioner is not at flight risk," the Court held.

The court also imposed stringent conditions on Sil's bail, including a bond of Rs 10 lakh along with several other criteria.

It was also clarified that if any of the conditions were violated, the agency would be free to demand the re-arrest of Sil. The court also reiterated that these observations were for the limited purpose of granting bail in the present case and cannot be deemed to be an observation on the merits of the entire case.

Case: Ayan Sil v/s. Enforcement Directorate Kolkata Zonal Office-II

Case No: CRM (SB) 17 of 2024

Citation: 2024 LiveLaw (Cal) 261

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