Calcutta High Court Grants Interim Bail To Former Bidhannagar Mayor Sabyasachi Dutta In Corruption Case
The Calcutta High Court has granted interim bail to former Bidhannagar Mayor and former Trinamool Congress MLA Sabyasachi Dutta in a corruption case, noting that the complaint alleging a demand for money in 2018 was lodged only in 2026 without any explanation for the inordinate delay.
Justice Chaitali Chatterjee (Das) granted Dutta interim bail until November 30, 2026, subject to stringent conditions, including surrender of his passport, a restriction on leaving West Bengal without the trial court's permission, and a direction not to tamper with evidence or intimidate witnesses.
"Bail is not to be withheld as a punishment,” the High Court noted while referring to the Supreme Court's reiteration of the principle that “bail is the rule and the jail is the exception.”
The Court directed Dutta to furnish a bail bond of Rs. 50,000 with two sureties of like amount, one of whom must be a local resident, to the satisfaction of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Bidhannagar.
It further directed him to appear before the trial court on every date of hearing and whenever required. He must also inform the investigating officer of his location and address before leaving the jurisdiction of the trial court. The Court clarified that any violation of these conditions would result in cancellation of the interim bail without any further reference to it.
Dutta approached the High Court seeking bail under Section 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, corresponding to Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, after the Special Court at Barasat rejected his bail application.
The case arose from an FIR registered at Bidhannagar North Police Station on June 8, 2026, under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Dutta had been in custody since May 2026.
According to the complaint, the alleged incident involved a demand for Rs. 2.30 lakh in 2018, which was allegedly paid to a co-accused who had since been granted bail. The complaint also alleged a subsequent demand of Rs. 1 crore and threats over a telephone call.
Appearing for Dutta, Senior Advocate Sabyasachi Banerjee argued that the complaint was lodged after an unexplained delay of nearly eight years. He contended that the allegations concerning the subsequent demand lacked specific details and that the timing of the complaint raised concerns about political vendetta. He also pointed to alleged discrepancies in the seizure records and submitted that Dutta had been granted bail in five other cases lodged against him.
Opposing the plea, the prosecution submitted that a substantial quantity of gold ornaments and cash had been recovered from Dutta's bank locker during the investigation. It argued that the allegations were serious and that Dutta's influence could affect the trial, which had not yet commenced.
The Court noted that Dutta had served as Mayor of Bidhannagar Municipality from 2015 to 2019 and had been an elected MLA during the tenure of the previous ruling party in West Bengal.
After examining the complaint, the Court noted that the allegations related to demands for money in 2018, but no complaint had been lodged before any forum until 2026. It found that the complaint did not explain the inordinate delay.
Taking into account the Supreme Court's observations on bail, the filing of the chargesheet and supplementary chargesheet, and the circumstances of the case, the High Court allowed Dutta's plea on an interim basis.
The prosecution was granted liberty to submit a report after the interim bail period expires.
Case: Sabyasachi Dutta v. State of West Bengal
Case No.: CRM (M) 2466 of 2026