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Rabi Banerjee
Rabi Banerjee

Saradha scam

Calcutta High Court rejects CBI's plea on Saradha scam accused

Madan-Mitra Madan Mitra | PTI

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday rejected the CBI’s plea to hear the petition, seeking the cancellation of bail granted to Madan Mitra—senior Trinamool Congress leader accused in Saradha scam—on emergency basis.

On Tuesday, the CBI challenged the bail granted to Mitra by Alipore sessions court of Kolkata and on Wednesday, the agency appealed to the division bench, headed by Justice Pinaki Roy, to take up its petition as topmost priority.

Justice Roy said the court did not feel that the matter was so urgent to be given priority over other pending cases. The court further observed that the petition would come up as and when it deems right to take up the matter.

Mitra was granted bail last week after spending 22 months in prison. A former cabinet minister of Mamata Banerjee government, Mitra is known to be close to the West Bengal chief minister. CBI arrested him in 2014, holding him as one of the prime accused in the Saradha chit fund scam.

While granting him bail, the lower court argued that the investigating agency hadn't interrogated Mitra for the past one year. The CBI pointed out that release of Mitra would influence the investigation as he was an influential person in the state.

With the Wednesday's High Court ruling, lawyers feel that Mitra would be on bail for at least another two weeks.

Meanwhile, after released from prison Mitra visited Kali temple and offered puja. He is presently staying at a hotel in Bhawanipur as there are restrictions imposed on his movement.

Mitra said, “I am not at all a influential person now. Neither am I a minister nor do I visit party office”.

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