Saradha scam: Trinamool MP Bose sent to CBI custody

A court, rejecting the bail plea of arrested Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Srinjoy Bose, Saturday sent him to CBI custody till Nov 26.

Bose was Friday arrested for his prima facie involvement in the Saradha scam on allegations of criminal conspiracy, misappropriation of funds and deriving undue financial benefits.

While his counsel pressed for bail contending his arrest was illegal, the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (in-charge) P. Pradhan, after hearing the prosecution and the defence, remanded him to custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and also directed periodic medical check-ups of Bose by a senior government medical practitioner.

"Bose was Friday summoned by the CBI for questioning as a witness. So how can they arrest him subsequently as an accused. We contended that his arrest was illegal and urged for bail but the court remanded him to CBI custody till Wednesday," said Bose's counsel Ashok Mukherjee.

Mukherjee also contended that Bose was suffering from ailments like diabetes, hypertension, spondylosis and had also undergone a bariatric surgery, therefore he should be granted bail.

But the court refused to grant the relief.

Bose, also the editor of Trinamool mouthpiece "Jaago Bangla" and Bengali daily Sambad Pratidin, was accused of "blackmail" by Saradha promoter and scam kingpin Sudipta Sen in a letter that he purportedly wrote to the CBI last year.

While Governor K.N. Tripathi has justified Bose's arrest reasoning that the CBI had "reasons to do so", Trinamool chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has dubbed the arrest an outcome of "vendetta politics".