Cash seizure case: HC asks Mukul Roy to submit voice sample

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed senior BJP leader Mukul Roy to give his voice sample to the Kolkata Police in connection with a case of seizure of Rs 90 lakh at Burrabazar area here in 2018.

Rejecting Roy's petition which challenged the prosecution's prayer before the trial court for a voice sample, Justice Rajasekhar Mantha directed him comply with the order on January 10, 2020.

Justice Mantha, however, asserted that the voice sample which Roy has been directed to submit on January 10, could only be used in connection with this case.

Roy's lawyer S Dasgupta argued that he was a witness in the case and not an accused, and that he cannot be compelled to give his voice sample.

Public Prosecutor Saswata Mukherjee, however, claimed that a witness can also be asked to give his voice sample.

Justice Mantha, while directing Roy to give the sample, referred the matter to the Chief Justice of the High Court for assigning the plea to a division bench, which could then decide on the concern raised by the BJP leader's lawyer.

He directed that Roy's voice sample be kept in a sealed cover, till a division bench decides on the matter.

The case pertains to the recovery of Rs 90 lakh from a person in Burrabazar area on July 31, 2018, leading to his arrest along with a few others. Roy's phone number allegedly featured in the call list of one of the arrested persons.

The prosecution had filed a plea before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate at Bankshall Court here in February, praying that Roy be asked to give his voice sample for examination.

Challenging the prayer, Roy had moved the high court.