Calcutta High Court Grants Bail to Ex-WBSSC Adviser S.P. Sinha in PMLA Case After Rebuking State Over Sanction Delays

Citing prolonged pre-trial custody and stalled sanction decisions, the court stressed personal liberty and told the trial court to move the case forward quickly.

Overview

Sinha received conditional bail from a single-judge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta in the ED’s money-laundering case linked to the WBSSC recruitment scandal.
The order requires a ₹1 lakh bond with two sureties, surrender of passport, restrictions on travel without permission, regular appearance before investigators, and no contact with witnesses.
The court criticized the West Bengal government for delaying prosecution sanction, warning that such holdups risk accused persons securing bail while trials remain stalled.
With earlier bail already granted in the related CBI case, Friday’s order removes the remaining legal barrier to Sinha’s release after custody since August 10, 2022.
The case stems from alleged large-scale irregularities in school appointments, with the ED alleging laundering through properties and the Supreme Court having cancelled over 25,000 SSC hires in April 2025.