HC grants bail to Ayan Sil in teacher recruitment case
Times of India | 3 December 2024
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court granted bail to Ayan Sil on Monday in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case related to teacher recruitment scam. Justice Suvra Ghosh relied on the Supreme Court judgment in the Manish Sisodia case, wherein it was observed that "the principle that bail is a rule and refusal is an exception is, at times, followed in breach, and it is high time that the trial courts and the high courts should recognise the principle that bail is the rule and jail is the exception".
The judge said that under section 4 of the PMLA, the punishment is rigorous imprisonment for not less than three years, which may extend to seven years, along with a fine. Sil has been in prison since March 20, 2023.
The court said the ED had yet to frame charges against 25 accused people and that there was no likelihood that the trial would commence soon. The ED intends to rely upon voluminous evidence, including 182 statements, 210 documents spanning over 20,000 pages, and 167 witnesses, to substantiate its case.
"The case is primarily based on documentary evidence, which is in the custody of the ED, 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," Justice Ghosh stated. It was also noted that the co-accused was granted bail.
Sil was granted bail upon furnishing a bond of Rs 10 lakh. He must surrender his passport to the trial court and follow various conditions.