CBI challenges Madan Mitra’s bail in High Court

Kolkata, Sep 13 (PTI) The CBI today filed a petitionbefore the Calcutta High Court seeking cancellation of thebail granted to former West Bengal transport minister MadanMitra, an accused in the multi-crore Saradha scam, by a citycourt. The Alipore Sessions Court had, on September 9, grantedbail to Mitra, after he spent over 21 months in prison inconnection with the chit fund scam. The matter is likely to be taken up by an appropriatebench of the High Court later this week. The CBI challenged the bail on the ground that Mitra wasstill "influential" and "an inseparable part" of the rulingTrinamool Congress (TMC) in the state, despite not being aminister or an MLA at present and thus, him being out on bailcould affect the witnesses in the case. "We have included every relevant point in the petition toprove that Mitra is an influential person," a source close tothe development told PTI. Alipore Sessions Court judge Uttam Kumar Nandy had, onFriday last, granted the relief to Mitra on a bail bond andsurety of Rs 15 lakh each, rejecting the CBI’s opposition. Imposing conditions on his bail, the court had directedMitra to appear before the CBI investigating officer once aweek, surrender his passport and not to leave Bhowaniporepolice station limits. The former minister has been charged under sections 409(criminal breach of trust by public servant), 420 (cheating)and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC. Mitra’s counsel had pleaded for bail contending that hewas no longer an influential person since he was neither aminister nor an MLA, nor was he holding any party post now. He had also alleged that the CBI was delaying theinvestigation and as such, Mitra should be granted bail. The CBI counsel opposed his plea, saying the investigationinto the Saradha scam, involving over Rs 2,500 crore of publicmoney, was at a "crucial stage" and releasing Mitra now couldhamper the process because the former minister was still "avery influential person" and had access to key witnesses inthe case. Mitra, who was arrested on December 12, 2014 for hisalleged complicity in the Saradha scam, was earlier grantedbail by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) ofAlipore Sessions Court on October 31, 2015 after several ofhis bail pleas were rejected by different courts. But, the breather had turned out to be a brief one as theCalcutta High Court cancelled his bail on November 19 on apetition by the investigating agency. PTI AMR DKBRC