Abhijeet Ganguly, Bengal HC Judge-turned-politician, takes oath as Lok Sabha MP
Tag: Calcutta High Court
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Calcutta HC order slap in face of those indulged in vote bank politics: Chhattisgarh CM
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Thursday hailed the Calcutta High Court’s decision to scrap the OBC status of several classes in West Bengal, calling it a slap in the face of those indulged in appeasement politics through “religion-based” quota. The HC on Wednesday struck down the OBC (Other Backward Class) status of several classes in Bengal, finding such reservations under a 2012 Act to vacancies in services and posts in the state illegal. It observed that the inclusion of 77 classes of Muslims in the list of backward categories was to “treat them as vote bank”.
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has asserted that she will not accept the order and hinted that her government could challenge it in the Supreme Court.
Asked about Banerjee’s statement, Sai told reporters here, “We welcome the decision of Calcutta High Court over religion-based reservation. It is a slap in the face of those who practise vote bank and appeasement politics by giving religion-based reservation.” Later, Sai claimed in a statement that Congress and the opposition INDIA bloc have been conspiring to “murder the Constitution”. AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther States”We all know that religion-based reservation has no place in the Constitution. On Wednesday, the Honourable Calcutta High Court scrapped all the religion-based OBC certificates issued in West Bengal after 2010. This is a big decision for the OBC, tribals and all backward communities in the country,” he said. The judgment shows how Mamata Banerjee’s government was taking ahead the “policy of appeasement in an unconstitutional manner”, he said. “INDI alliance has been continuously robbing the rights of tribals and backward classes and wants to snatch their rights and hand them over to Muslims, just because of its vote bank politics. It is highly condemnable,” Sai said. Neither BJP nor backward, tribals and Dalits will tolerate the politics of appeasement of Congress and its alliance, he said. “What is even more serious is that the West Bengal CM has said that she will not accept this decision and will not implement it. It is very unfortunate”, he added.
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‘Very happy’ Mamata Banerjee welcomes Supreme Court order staying Calcutta High Court verdict on school jobs scam
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court order that stayed the Calcutta High Court verdict of cancelling more than 25,000 school jobs, and said she is “very happy and mentally relaxed” after getting justice in the apex court. The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the Calcutta High Court order invalidating the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff made by the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) in state-run and state-aided schools. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, however, permitted the CBI to continue with its investigation and probe even members of the state cabinet. The top court, however, asked the CBI not to take any precipitate action like arresting a suspect during the investigation. “I am really very happy and mentally relaxed on receipt of justice at the highest Court of the land. Congratulations to the entire teaching fraternity and my humble regards to the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India,” Banerjee said in a post on X. AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesSpeaking in a similar vein, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said truth has triumphed. “The Honorable Supreme Court has DEFUSED the BJP’s ‘EXPLOSIVE’ hurled last week to malign Bengal’s image and destabilise WB government. TRUTH HAS TRIUMPHED! We will continue to defy all odds and stand shoulder to shoulder with the people until our last breath,” he wrote on X. Earlier in the day, it termed the alleged scam as a “systemic fraud” and said the state authorities were duty-bound to maintain digitised records pertaining to the appointment of teachers and non-teaching staff. The top court was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Calcutta High Court’s April 22 decision that invalidated the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff.
The BJP, however, claimed that corruption in school recruitment in West Bengal has been proven in the court.
“The TMC is neck-deep in corruption in this scam. They cannot evade their responsibilities,” BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.
The TMC-led West Bengal government had challenged the Calcutta High Court order, saying it cancelled the appointments “arbitrarily”.
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CJI Chandrachud raps HC judge, says he has no business giving media interview on pending case
Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Judges have no business giving interviews to the media on pending cases, CJI DY Chandrachud remarked on Monday as he sought clarification from a sitting judge of the Calcutta HC Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay through the Registrar General over his interview to a news channel about a case being heard by him.
“Judges have no business granting interviews to news channels on pending matters. If this is true, he cannot hear this case anymore. If he has done so then he cannot participate anymore. We will not touch the investigation but if a judge gives an opinion on the petitioner on a TV debate, then he cannot hear it. The HC chief then has to constitute a new bench,” the CJI said.
The CJI said that although the court was not going into the merits of the case where the Calcutta HC directed the CBI to probe the role of TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in the alleged recruitment scam as of now, it was imperative to know if the interview was given by the judge or not.
ALSO READ | ‘Acting like political party:’ HC judge’s comments on Abhishek Banerjee draw TMC flak
The remarks were made by the CJI while considering a plea filed by TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee against the Calcutta HC order directing the CBI and ED to question him over the primary teacher recruitment scam.
Not only Banerjee but even the West Bengal government approached the Supreme Court against the Calcutta HC’s order directing the CBI to probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment on the ED’s plea. The HC on April 22 after taking note of the ED’s findings during its probe in the scam had directed the CBI to investigate.
Appearing on behalf of Banerjee, senior lawyer Abhishek Singhvi requested the court to take note of the interview given by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay to ABP Ananda wherein the judge allegedly spoke against Banerjee. “This is a little unprecedented. This is with greatest humility and respect and just not done. This was said in presence of our lawyers. The single judge has not clarified or revoked the statement.”
Last Monday, the SC had stayed the Calcutta HC’s order directing the CBI and ED to question TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee over the scam. Singhvi had submitted before the bench that although the writ filed before the HC had nothing to do with Banerjee, the judge had still directed the CBI and EC for questioning him. During the hearing, he had also referred to an interview which was given by Justice Gangopadhyay (the judge who had passed the order) in which some statements were allegedly made by him against Banerjee. He said that this was a ground for apprehension of bias.
NEW DELHI: Judges have no business giving interviews to the media on pending cases, CJI DY Chandrachud remarked on Monday as he sought clarification from a sitting judge of the Calcutta HC Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay through the Registrar General over his interview to a news channel about a case being heard by him.
“Judges have no business granting interviews to news channels on pending matters. If this is true, he cannot hear this case anymore. If he has done so then he cannot participate anymore. We will not touch the investigation but if a judge gives an opinion on the petitioner on a TV debate, then he cannot hear it. The HC chief then has to constitute a new bench,” the CJI said.
The CJI said that although the court was not going into the merits of the case where the Calcutta HC directed the CBI to probe the role of TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in the alleged recruitment scam as of now, it was imperative to know if the interview was given by the judge or not.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
ALSO READ | ‘Acting like political party:’ HC judge’s comments on Abhishek Banerjee draw TMC flak
The remarks were made by the CJI while considering a plea filed by TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee against the Calcutta HC order directing the CBI and ED to question him over the primary teacher recruitment scam.
Not only Banerjee but even the West Bengal government approached the Supreme Court against the Calcutta HC’s order directing the CBI to probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment on the ED’s plea. The HC on April 22 after taking note of the ED’s findings during its probe in the scam had directed the CBI to investigate.
Appearing on behalf of Banerjee, senior lawyer Abhishek Singhvi requested the court to take note of the interview given by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay to ABP Ananda wherein the judge allegedly spoke against Banerjee. “This is a little unprecedented. This is with greatest humility and respect and just not done. This was said in presence of our lawyers. The single judge has not clarified or revoked the statement.”
Last Monday, the SC had stayed the Calcutta HC’s order directing the CBI and ED to question TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee over the scam. Singhvi had submitted before the bench that although the writ filed before the HC had nothing to do with Banerjee, the judge had still directed the CBI and EC for questioning him. During the hearing, he had also referred to an interview which was given by Justice Gangopadhyay (the judge who had passed the order) in which some statements were allegedly made by him against Banerjee. He said that this was a ground for apprehension of bias.
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Not inclined to interfere in govt’s decision to extend grant to Durga puja committees: Calcutta HC
By PTI
KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday said that it is not inclined to interfere in the West Bengal government’s decision to extend a grant of Rs 60,000 each to over 40,000 Durga puja committees in the state.
Petitioners in PILs challenging the grant claimed that the distribution of the amount has nothing to do with public welfare and that Durga Puja is a private affair.
“We are not inclined to interfere in the decision of the State to extend the grant to Puja committees,” a division bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice R Bharadwaj said in its judgment.
The bench said that it is, however, of the opinion that the grant should be strictly utilised for the purpose mentioned in a West Bengal government order of September 6.
The court noted that the September 6 order extended a grant of Rs 60,000 to 40,028 clubs or puja committees or other similar organisations for 2022.
The state has claimed that the grant is being given to puja organisers for the development of tourism and showcasing the cultural heritage of the state among other objectives.
ALSO READ | Centre’s thermocol ban just ahead of Durga Puja puts idol artists in a fix
The bench directed that guidelines already issued in previous orders of this court be complied with.
It said that the grant will be released only to those puja committees which, in the previous year, had utilised the same for the purpose stated, and had submitted a certificate within time.
The bench directed that the West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police, through which the grant is to be distributed, will have to ensure that the funds are utilised properly.
It also said that puja committees will have to submit utilisation certificates by November 15, following which the government will then compile a report and present it before the court by December 15.
ALSO READ | In HC, Mamata government denies Durga Puja grant for entertainment
The petitioners claimed that instead of making payments to Amphan victims or implementing Swasthya Sathi Scheme, which has higher priority, the money is being wrongly distributed for religious purposes.
Opposing the prayer, Advocate General S N Mookherjee submitted that the court had earlier too refused to interfere in the state government’s decision to provide grants to puja committees He argued that the expression “public purpose” is of wide amplitude and budgetary provision has already been made for allocating the amount.
KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday said that it is not inclined to interfere in the West Bengal government’s decision to extend a grant of Rs 60,000 each to over 40,000 Durga puja committees in the state.
Petitioners in PILs challenging the grant claimed that the distribution of the amount has nothing to do with public welfare and that Durga Puja is a private affair.
“We are not inclined to interfere in the decision of the State to extend the grant to Puja committees,” a division bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice R Bharadwaj said in its judgment.
The bench said that it is, however, of the opinion that the grant should be strictly utilised for the purpose mentioned in a West Bengal government order of September 6.
The court noted that the September 6 order extended a grant of Rs 60,000 to 40,028 clubs or puja committees or other similar organisations for 2022.
The state has claimed that the grant is being given to puja organisers for the development of tourism and showcasing the cultural heritage of the state among other objectives.
ALSO READ | Centre’s thermocol ban just ahead of Durga Puja puts idol artists in a fix
The bench directed that guidelines already issued in previous orders of this court be complied with.
It said that the grant will be released only to those puja committees which, in the previous year, had utilised the same for the purpose stated, and had submitted a certificate within time.
The bench directed that the West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police, through which the grant is to be distributed, will have to ensure that the funds are utilised properly.
It also said that puja committees will have to submit utilisation certificates by November 15, following which the government will then compile a report and present it before the court by December 15.
ALSO READ | In HC, Mamata government denies Durga Puja grant for entertainment
The petitioners claimed that instead of making payments to Amphan victims or implementing Swasthya Sathi Scheme, which has higher priority, the money is being wrongly distributed for religious purposes.
Opposing the prayer, Advocate General S N Mookherjee submitted that the court had earlier too refused to interfere in the state government’s decision to provide grants to puja committees He argued that the expression “public purpose” is of wide amplitude and budgetary provision has already been made for allocating the amount.
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TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee’s kin appears before ED in coal scam case
By PTI
KOLKATA: Maneka Gambhir, the sister-in-law of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday for questioning in connection with an alleged coal scam case. The ED issued fresh summons to Gambhir after it ‘erroneously’ issued her a notice for an appearance at 12:30 am instead of 12:30 pm on Monday, official sources said.
Gambhir, who was then asked to appear by 2 pm, reached the agency’s office at the CGO complex in Salt Lake around 12.40 pm.
Earlier, the ED was left red-faced when Gambhir arrived at its office here past midnight, as the notice asked her to appear before the agency at 12.30 am on Monday.
Gambir reached the ED office and posed for a picture before a locked office along with the notice, which the agency later termed a “typographical error”, the sources said.
She was accompanied by a lawyer. Gambhir was handed over the summons to appear at the ED office on Monday by agency officials at the Kolkata airport on September 10, after she was denied from taking an international flight.
The Calcutta High Court had in August directed the ED to question Gambhir at its regional office in Kolkata and not in Delhi, and also not to take coercive steps against her till the next date of hearing.
Gambhir had challenged an ED summons that asked her to appear before it in Delhi on September 5 in connection with the alleged coal scam case and had sought direction from the court to the agency to allow her to appear before it in Kolkata, where she claimed she resides.
The central agency had earlier questioned Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the national general secretary of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and his wife Rujira, in connection with the case.
KOLKATA: Maneka Gambhir, the sister-in-law of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday for questioning in connection with an alleged coal scam case. The ED issued fresh summons to Gambhir after it ‘erroneously’ issued her a notice for an appearance at 12:30 am instead of 12:30 pm on Monday, official sources said.
Gambhir, who was then asked to appear by 2 pm, reached the agency’s office at the CGO complex in Salt Lake around 12.40 pm.
Earlier, the ED was left red-faced when Gambhir arrived at its office here past midnight, as the notice asked her to appear before the agency at 12.30 am on Monday.
Gambir reached the ED office and posed for a picture before a locked office along with the notice, which the agency later termed a “typographical error”, the sources said.
She was accompanied by a lawyer. Gambhir was handed over the summons to appear at the ED office on Monday by agency officials at the Kolkata airport on September 10, after she was denied from taking an international flight.
The Calcutta High Court had in August directed the ED to question Gambhir at its regional office in Kolkata and not in Delhi, and also not to take coercive steps against her till the next date of hearing.
Gambhir had challenged an ED summons that asked her to appear before it in Delhi on September 5 in connection with the alleged coal scam case and had sought direction from the court to the agency to allow her to appear before it in Kolkata, where she claimed she resides.
The central agency had earlier questioned Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the national general secretary of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and his wife Rujira, in connection with the case.
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School appointment row: HC asks Anubrata Mondal’s daughter, five others to appear before it
By PTI
KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed Sukanya Mondal, daughter of arrested TMC leader Anubrata Mondal, to appear before it on Thursday in connection with an allegation that she and five others were appointed in primary schools without having cleared Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET).
The petitioner has alleged that some people closely related to Anubrata Mondal, who is also the chairman of West Bengal Rural Development Authority, have been given jobs as teachers, including Sukanya, who never visited Kalikapur Primary School in Birbhum, where she was employed.
In the affidavit, the petitioner claimed that the school attendance register was sent to Sukanya’s residence for her signature.
Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay directed six persons named in the affidavit to appear personally on Thursday before the court with their TET certificate and their appointment letter.
“If anybody fails to appear, as has been directed above, the court will not hesitate to take harsh steps against them,” he directed.
Justice Gangopadhyay had earlier ordered CBI investigation in a number of cases of alleged irregularities in appointment of teaching and non-teaching staff in West Bengal government-sponsored and -aided schools in the state.
Mondal was arrested by the CBI last week in a cattle smuggling case.
KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed Sukanya Mondal, daughter of arrested TMC leader Anubrata Mondal, to appear before it on Thursday in connection with an allegation that she and five others were appointed in primary schools without having cleared Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET).
The petitioner has alleged that some people closely related to Anubrata Mondal, who is also the chairman of West Bengal Rural Development Authority, have been given jobs as teachers, including Sukanya, who never visited Kalikapur Primary School in Birbhum, where she was employed.
In the affidavit, the petitioner claimed that the school attendance register was sent to Sukanya’s residence for her signature.
Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay directed six persons named in the affidavit to appear personally on Thursday before the court with their TET certificate and their appointment letter.
“If anybody fails to appear, as has been directed above, the court will not hesitate to take harsh steps against them,” he directed.
Justice Gangopadhyay had earlier ordered CBI investigation in a number of cases of alleged irregularities in appointment of teaching and non-teaching staff in West Bengal government-sponsored and -aided schools in the state.
Mondal was arrested by the CBI last week in a cattle smuggling case.
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Bengal cash haul: Calcutta HC grants interim bail to three arrested Jharkhand MLAs
By PTI
KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to three Jharkhand MLAs arrested by West Bengal Police in Howrah district after nearly Rs 49 lakh in cash were seized from a car they were travelling in.
The three Congress MLAs — Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kachchap and Naman Bixal Kongari — were arrested after their car was intercepted on NH 16 at Panchla in Howrah district on July 30 and nearly Rs 49 lakh in cash were seized from the vehicle.
A division bench comprising justices Joymalya Bagchi and Ananya Bandopadhyay granted interim bail to the three MLAs for three months and directed them to not leave the Kolkata municipal area during the period.
The court also directed the three MLAs to appear before the investigating officer in the case once a week and to deposit their passports.
The investigation into the case has been handed over to the state CID by the police authorities.
The MLAs claimed that the money was meant for buying sarees for an Adivasi festival in Jharkhand.
KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to three Jharkhand MLAs arrested by West Bengal Police in Howrah district after nearly Rs 49 lakh in cash were seized from a car they were travelling in.
The three Congress MLAs — Irfan Ansari, Rajesh Kachchap and Naman Bixal Kongari — were arrested after their car was intercepted on NH 16 at Panchla in Howrah district on July 30 and nearly Rs 49 lakh in cash were seized from the vehicle.
A division bench comprising justices Joymalya Bagchi and Ananya Bandopadhyay granted interim bail to the three MLAs for three months and directed them to not leave the Kolkata municipal area during the period.
The court also directed the three MLAs to appear before the investigating officer in the case once a week and to deposit their passports.
The investigation into the case has been handed over to the state CID by the police authorities.
The MLAs claimed that the money was meant for buying sarees for an Adivasi festival in Jharkhand.
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Calcutta HC directs ED to take arrested Bengal minister to AIIMS Bhubaneswar
By PTI
KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Sunday directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to take West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, arrested in connection with the school jobs scam, to AIIMS Bhubaneswar early on Monday by air ambulance.
The court directed that the minister be produced before a special ED court in Kolkata through virtual mode at 4 PM on Monday.
“The investigating agency is directed to take the accused by air ambulance to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar in the early morning on 25th July, 2022,” Justice Bibek Chaudhuri directed.
After hearing pleadings in a revision application moved by the ED challenging a lower court order sending Chatterjee to state-run SSKM Hospital after his lawyers claimed he was ill, Justice Chaudhuri directed that the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar authority will medically examine the accused by a team of specialist doctors of cardiology, nephrology, respiratory medicines and endocrinology.
KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Sunday directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to take West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, arrested in connection with the school jobs scam, to AIIMS Bhubaneswar early on Monday by air ambulance.
The court directed that the minister be produced before a special ED court in Kolkata through virtual mode at 4 PM on Monday.
“The investigating agency is directed to take the accused by air ambulance to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar in the early morning on 25th July, 2022,” Justice Bibek Chaudhuri directed.
After hearing pleadings in a revision application moved by the ED challenging a lower court order sending Chatterjee to state-run SSKM Hospital after his lawyers claimed he was ill, Justice Chaudhuri directed that the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar authority will medically examine the accused by a team of specialist doctors of cardiology, nephrology, respiratory medicines and endocrinology.
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HC asks ED to take Bengal min to AIIMS Bhubaneswar; TMC demands time-bound probe
By PTI
KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Sunday directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to take West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, arrested in connection with the school jobs scam, to AIIMS Bhubaneswar early on Monday by air ambulance.
The court directed that the minister be produced before a special ED court in Kolkata through virtual mode at 4 pm on Monday.
TMC, on the other hand, demanded a time-bound probe in the ED case against Chatterjee, asserting the party will not interfere politically if any leader has done anything wrong.
ED also produced the senior TMC leader’s associate Arpita Mukherjee before a court, which remanded her to one-day custody of the agency.
ED personnel raided several locations in the state on July 22 as part of their probe into the money trail involved in a teacher recruitment scam at government-sponsored and aided schools.
Crores of rupees in cash along with other items were allegedly recovered from Mukherjee’s residence, sources said. PTI could not independently verify the information.
Chatterjee and Mukherjee were arrested as part of ED’s investigation into the scam.
After hearing pleadings in a revision application moved by the ED challenging a lower court order sending Chatterjee to state-run SSKM Hospital after his lawyers claimed he was ill, Justice Chaudhuri directed, “The investigating agency is directed to take the accused by air ambulance to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar in the early morning on 25th July, 2022.”
He directed that the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar authority will medically examine the accused by a team of specialist doctors of cardiology, nephrology, respiratory medicines and endocrinology.
ED moved the high court challenging Bankshall Court order which directed that Chatterjee, who complained of uneasiness after his arrested, be admitted to SSKM Hospital.
The central agency also claimed that the lower court can direct adequate treatment of a person but cannot specify a particular facility. The ED moved a revision petition before the high court and sought permission for an urgent hearing during the day.
The lower court on Saturday remanded Chatterjee to two days’ ED custody while sending him to the hospital on a prayer by his lawyers that he was unwell and needed medical treatment. Counsels for the ED claimed that Chatterjee, a senior minister in the state, is an influential person and as such should not be kept in a state-run hospital.
Chatterjee’s lawyers opposed the prayer and said his treatment was being done appropriately at SSKM hospital. The ED suggested that Chatterjee can be treated at an AIIMS hospital which has a very good healthcare infrastructure.
Meanwhile, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the party has no connection with Mukherjee, in whose flat a huge amount of cash was allegedly found. “The party demands time-bound investigation in the case,” he said, maintaining that investigations by central agencies in some cases have been going on for many years.
The CBI has been investigating the multi-crore Saradha chit fund case since 2014, while the Narada tapes case, which unfolded ahead of 2016 elections, was also yet to reach any conclusion. “Law will take its own course; the Trinamool Congress will not interfere, however big a leader gets involved in it,” Ghosh said.
Mukherjee, who was arrested on Saturday after grilling for several hours at her posh apartment block in south Kolkata, was produced before a court.
Metropolitan Magistrate Namrata Singh, in charge of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court, directed that Mukherjee be produced before the designated ED court on Monday. ED counsels, including Abhijit Bhadra, had prayed for 14 days’ custody of Mukherjee.
KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Sunday directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to take West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, arrested in connection with the school jobs scam, to AIIMS Bhubaneswar early on Monday by air ambulance.
The court directed that the minister be produced before a special ED court in Kolkata through virtual mode at 4 pm on Monday.
TMC, on the other hand, demanded a time-bound probe in the ED case against Chatterjee, asserting the party will not interfere politically if any leader has done anything wrong.
ED also produced the senior TMC leader’s associate Arpita Mukherjee before a court, which remanded her to one-day custody of the agency.
ED personnel raided several locations in the state on July 22 as part of their probe into the money trail involved in a teacher recruitment scam at government-sponsored and aided schools.
Crores of rupees in cash along with other items were allegedly recovered from Mukherjee’s residence, sources said. PTI could not independently verify the information.
Chatterjee and Mukherjee were arrested as part of ED’s investigation into the scam.
After hearing pleadings in a revision application moved by the ED challenging a lower court order sending Chatterjee to state-run SSKM Hospital after his lawyers claimed he was ill, Justice Chaudhuri directed, “The investigating agency is directed to take the accused by air ambulance to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar in the early morning on 25th July, 2022.”
He directed that the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar authority will medically examine the accused by a team of specialist doctors of cardiology, nephrology, respiratory medicines and endocrinology.
ED moved the high court challenging Bankshall Court order which directed that Chatterjee, who complained of uneasiness after his arrested, be admitted to SSKM Hospital.
The central agency also claimed that the lower court can direct adequate treatment of a person but cannot specify a particular facility. The ED moved a revision petition before the high court and sought permission for an urgent hearing during the day.
The lower court on Saturday remanded Chatterjee to two days’ ED custody while sending him to the hospital on a prayer by his lawyers that he was unwell and needed medical treatment. Counsels for the ED claimed that Chatterjee, a senior minister in the state, is an influential person and as such should not be kept in a state-run hospital.
Chatterjee’s lawyers opposed the prayer and said his treatment was being done appropriately at SSKM hospital. The ED suggested that Chatterjee can be treated at an AIIMS hospital which has a very good healthcare infrastructure.
Meanwhile, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the party has no connection with Mukherjee, in whose flat a huge amount of cash was allegedly found. “The party demands time-bound investigation in the case,” he said, maintaining that investigations by central agencies in some cases have been going on for many years.
The CBI has been investigating the multi-crore Saradha chit fund case since 2014, while the Narada tapes case, which unfolded ahead of 2016 elections, was also yet to reach any conclusion. “Law will take its own course; the Trinamool Congress will not interfere, however big a leader gets involved in it,” Ghosh said.
Mukherjee, who was arrested on Saturday after grilling for several hours at her posh apartment block in south Kolkata, was produced before a court.
Metropolitan Magistrate Namrata Singh, in charge of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court, directed that Mukherjee be produced before the designated ED court on Monday. ED counsels, including Abhijit Bhadra, had prayed for 14 days’ custody of Mukherjee.