Saradha scam: CBI seek court's nod for grilling Madan Mitra again

With West Bengal Transport Minister Madan Mitra, arrested in the multi-crore rupee Saradha scam, having spent most of his custody in hospital rather than jail, the CBI has moved a court seeking to interrogate him, an agency source said on Thursday.

"According to a report by the Alipore Correctional Home, Mitra, who was arrested December 12 has spent less than 50 days in jail since he was remanded to judicial custody December 19," said a Central Bureau of Investigation official.

"So we have moved the court of additional chief judicial magistrate, Alipore, praying to allow us to interrogate him. The court is yet to give an order to that effect but we are hopeful," the official added.

Mitra, who has been charge sheeted by the CBI for several offences including criminal conspiracy, has been spending most of his jail time in the government run SSKM Hospital citing illness.

On a plea by the CBI, a city court had directed the Alipore jail authorities to furnish details of Mitra's stay in hospital and prison.

Having being denied bail by several courts including the Calcutta High Court, the senior Trinamool Congress leader is reportedly mulling moving the Supreme Court for relief.

"We have come across several new evidence in the scam and want to interrogate him to corroborate those facts. There is a likelihood he may move the Supreme Court so we made the application," added the source.