In another stamp of failure for the agencies probing the `2,500-crore ponzi scam that affected two million lives, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to Kunal Ghosh a Trinamool Congress MP and a prime accused in the Saradha chit fund case.
The period of the bail has been set up to November 11 when the case will again come up for hearing. While granting the bail on a personal bond of `2 lakh, Justices Asim Kumar Roy and Malay Marut Banerjee imposed certain conditions on him. Ghosh has been directed not to venture out of his local Police Station at Narkeldanga in North Kolkata where he lives. Besides he has been asked to submit his passport and report to the police once a week. The CBI has also been allowed access to him for interrogation. While granting bail the Court observed the law of the land did not provide for any ground to keep Ghosh in custody further.
Ghosh once a blue-eyed boy of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee — until he openly questioned the much bandied integrity of the Trinamool Congress top brass and earned her wrath — was arrested on November 23, 2011 by the Bidhannagar Police which was initially entrusted with probing the `2,500-crore ponzi scam.
later he was charge sheeted after the CBI was handed over the case following a Supreme Court order.
The significance of Sharada scam lies in the fact that its disclosure blew the lid off a host of other ponzi scams often intricately intertwined and together amounting to a whopping Rs 80,000 crore.
While granting the bail to the Trinamool MP on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh, Justices Asim Kumar Roy and Malay Marut Banerjee however, imposed certain conditions on him.
He has been directed not to venture out of his local Police Station at Narkeldanga in North Kolkata where his residence is located. Besides he has been asked to submit his passport and report to the police once a week. The CBI has also been allowed access to him for interrogation if the Agency thinks it fit.
While granting the bail the Court observed the law of the land did not provide for any ground to keep Ghosh in custody further.
Ghosh a former journalist was sent to Rajya Sabha by the Chief Minister but after the scam broke out he cried conspiracy inside the TMC insisting the big Trinamool fishes involved in the scam were trying to escape at the cost of the smaller ones like him.
He also challenged Banerjee’s “holy cow” image alleging the Chief Minister was the biggest beneficiary of the multi-crore scam.
This earned the wrath of the Chief Minister and Ghosh was arrested by the SIT formed by the Banerjee Government. Subsequently the CBI took over the case and charge sheet was filed against him.
With the release of Ghosh only a few people including prime accused like former Sharada boss Sudipto Sen, his deputy Debjani Mukherjee and a former Congress MP from Assam remains behind the bar.
Meanwhile, in a related development the High Court on Wednesday turned down the CBI plea to keep former Bengal Minister and another chit fund accused Madan Mitra under house arrest. Mitra was earlier granted bail by a lower court and is currently staying at a rented house under Bhawanipore Police Station area beyond the court has asked him not to venture.
Rejecting the CBI petition Court said it will take up the hearing on usual basis after the Puja vacations.