SC requests Calcutta HC to hear Manoranjana appeal

A Division Bench of India's Supreme Court has neither dismissed nor rejected the bail application of Manoranjana Sinh, one of the accused in the Sarada Chit Fund scam.

Sinh's lawyers have clarified that the Supreme Court heard the listed matter on May 25 and has allowed their client the liberty to mention and list the matter of bail hearing before the appropriate bench of the Calcutta High Court.

News reports had earlier incorrectly stated that the bail application of Manoranjana Sinh had been rejected or dismissed, but a certified copy of the Supreme Court record of proceedings conducted by a two-judge division bench of Justices Prafulla C. Pant and D. Y. Chandrachud states that the special leave petition is disposed of with the observation that the petitioner shall be at liberty to mention before the appropriate bench (of the high court) for early disposal.

On being told that the hearing of the bail application had been listed as far back as January 19,2016 and was yet to be heard, the division bench of the Supreme Court observed that "We request the high court to dispose of the bail application as expeditiously as possible."

Appearing for Manoranjana Sinh, Senior Counsel Rekha Palli had drawn the Supreme Court's attention to the fact that the petitioner is a single woman who has had two surgeries and discovered with multiple ailments for which she has been confined to hospital just after her detention by the CBI.

Palli said that two division benches of the Calcutta High Court changed but did not hear the matter for one reason or another.

The senior counsel said that the supplementary charge sheet by the CBI regarding Manoranjana Sinh was filed on January 4,2016.

But, the CBI claims the investigation is not complete despite a Supreme Court observation made around November 30, 2015 on another petition in the same case asking the CBI to deploy the necessary manpower to conclude the investigation.

The CBI has been detaining several of the accused, while letting off others on bail. Some have never appeared despite being issued summons and notices.

The senior counsel for Manoranjana Sinh said that over a course of nearly two years immediately preceding her detention, the latter had made nearly 15 submissions, personal appearances and supplied voluminous documents to the Sen Commission, SIT, Enforcement Directorate and CBI as a cooperating witness to support the investigation.

On the date of her detention, Sinh was called by the CBI for further investigation and she voluntarily appeared but was summarily arrested.

Manoranjana Sinh's case is likely to come up before the Calcutta High Court after the summer vacation ends June 6, 2016. It was last listed for hearing on March 10, 2016, but the Calcutta High Court Bench did not hear the matter and released the case on April 7, 2016, saying they did not want to hear the matter for personal reasons.