'Absconding' Trinamool legislator surrenders, granted bail

Accused of booth capturing, "absconding" Trinamool Congress legislator Dipali Saha was granted bail Monday after she surrendered before a West Bengal court.

Saha, who represents Sonamukhi in Bankura district, had been claimed to be absconding after a first information report (FIR) was filed by a presiding officer in April accusing her of forcibly entering a poll booth along with supporters and casting at least 100 votes.

Saha Monday surrendered before a court in Bishnupur in the district which granted her conditional bail.

"She (Saha) has been very sick all these days and after recovering, she today (Monday) suo motu surrendered before the court which granted her bail on depositing Rs.5 lakh personal surety," said her counsel Santosh Mukherjee.

Mukherjee also said that the court granted bail after it was contended that development work in Saha's constituency would be hampered if she was taken into custody.

With Bishnupur legislator Shyama Prasad Mukherjee claiming Saha was at her home all these days, political rivals have slammed police for their inability to arrest her and accused the ruling party of using the administration for its own use.

"Saha was ill so she was at home, she was not absconding. Ask police why they could not arrest her," Mukherjee said after Saha was granted bail.

"It is a glaring example of Trinamool's partycracy, her own MLA is saying that Saha was at home yet police all this while claimed she was absconding. This also shows how the ruling party has made police worthless," said Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sujon Chakraborty.

"This government is not a democratic government, but rather the government of the Trinamool. The ruling party decides who should be arrested and who should not. It is shameful that a leader who brazenly looted votes remains absconding for weeks and suddenly appears and is granted bail," said Bharatiya Janata Party leader Shamik Chakraborty.