Kolkata: Amidst high drama, suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh today dragged the name of senior West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee in a court hearing the Saradha chit fund scam case and withdrew his lawyer from holding his brief.
Taking out a piece of paper in the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Arvind Mishra, where he was produced by CBI seeking his judicial custody, Ghosh, arrested in Saradha chit fund scam case, said some chit fund companies were still collecting money from the public.
He claimed chit fund companies were also sponsoring an event of which former Industries Minister Partha Chatterjee was the chairman. Chatterjee is now Higher Education Minister. When Ghosh wanted to submit the piece of paper he claimed to have got in the court lockup from a person he did not name,the judge refused to accept it. The paper looked like a leaflet.
Ghosh named Chatterjee days after creating a flutter on Saturday last when he had told the court that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee be interviewed by CBI along with Saradha Group chairman Sudipta Sen and himself.
On being produced before the judge today, Ghosh said he wanted to say something but the court did not allow it and said as he had given his lawyer the authority to speak for him and he could not make any submission unless he withdrew the power given to his counsel.
Ghosh immediately wrote on a piece of paper that he was withdrawing the power given to his lawyer.
He then pleaded for either bail or CBI custody to ‘assist' the agency in its Saradha chit fund scam probe.
Metropolitan magistrate Arvind Mishra rejected his prayers and remanded Ghosh to judicial custody till September 18, as prayed for by CBI.
The judge also asked him not to make any statement regarding anything other than his own case. Ghosh told the court that other chit fund companies be also probed along with Saradha by CBI and that those involved in these should also be arrested.
Ghosh was asked by the court to make a statement before the Investigating Officer of CBI if he wanted to give any additional information other than what he has already provided to the investigating agency.
Claiming that he has been in custody for nearly 10 months since November 23 last when he was arrested by the state police, Ghosh submitted he is granted bail. He claimed he was not involved in any conspiracy or illegal monetary transaction involving Bengal Media, an arm of Saradha Group, of which he was the CEO.
Ghosh prayed he be granted bail or sent to CBI custody again, claiming that by being in the agency's custody he could ‘assist' it in the investigation if needed but he should not be sent to judicial custody.
The CBI counsel submitted a huge amount of money had been transferred by Saradha chit fund companies to Bengal Media Ltd after misappropriating public money. Stating that documents related to this has been collected after interrogation of Ghosh, the CBI counsel prayed for his judicial custody.
After hearing both the parties, the judge granted seven days' judicial custody of Ghosh.
As Ghosh was taken out of the court room, an youth claiming to be a journalist went near him and tried to talk to him.
He was immediately caught hold of by policemen and taken to the judge in his chamber.
The youth was allowed to go in the evening after he tendered a written apology.
Harried at Ghosh's regular talking to the media outside court rooms also while being taken to the prison van, policemen were deployed in large numbers to prevent any such happening.
Policemen jostled with mediapersons to prevent them from reaching near Ghosh as he was taken away to jail.
