The division bench of Calcutta High Court has rejected the bail plea of the jailed West Bengal Transport Minister Madan Mitra. The bail plea was moved by Senior advocate and Congress leader Kapil Sibal, but was rejected by Justices Nisitha Mahtre and Asha Arora. Sibal pleaded that his client is ready to step down as a minister as a condition for bail. Senior advocate and Congress leader Kapil Sibal also prayed before a division bench of Justices Nishita Mhatre and Asha Arora that Mr Mitra, 60, be granted bail even then his plea was turned down by the court.

Mitra’s bail pleas were moved at least a dozen times before the lower court at Alipore, where the case was being heard,  but it has been disallowed everytime. Mitra is one of the prime accused in the Saradha chit fund scam and has been in the jail for the last eight months. The multi-crore Saradha scam is being investigated by the CBI.

CBI’s counsel opposed the bail petition citing that the crucial factor in this case is that Mitra is the Transport Minister of the state and is, an influential person. Congress leader and noted advocate Sibal argued that Section 409 of IPC (criminal breach of trust by public servant or by banker, merchant or agent) which is slapped against Madan Mitra is not applicable as he is not directly involved in the scam.

the state Congress had cried foul. “It is highly embarrassing for a party, which had originally moved the Supreme Court for a CBI inquiry into Saradha case and had got a verdict endorsing a CBI inquiry. Now, a Congress leader has come to fight for the prime accused, it is an insult to the party,” said a party leader.

Abdul Manna, the Congress leader who had originally moved the petition for a CBI inquiry in the Supreme Court, had said that, “It is really unfortunate to see a senior Congress leader appearing for Madan Mitra. It will definitely send wrong signals.”

State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury while washing his hand in the matter has said that the party had little to do in the matter.

By Premji