HC to hear CBI's plea on Mitra's bail cancellation on Oct 5

The Calcutta High Court today said it will hear on October five CBI's plea for cancellation of bail to senior Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra, who was in the agency's custody for over 21 months for alleged complicity in the multi-crore Saradha scam.
The CBI counsel mentioned the matter before a division bench presided by Justice Nishita Mhatre, which directed that the matter be listed on October five for hearing.
A bench presided by Justice Mhatre had on an earlier occasion cancelled bail granted to Mitra by a sessions court.
Chief Justice G C Gupta assigned the CBI petition for hearing before the court of Justice Mhatre after a bench presided by Justice Ashim Kumar Roy had on September 19 refused to hear the matter out of turn on account urgency claimed by the investigating agency.

CBI counsel K Raghava Charyulu had on the same day moved a division bench comprising Chief Justice G C Gupta and Justice A Banerjee seeking early hearing of the petition for cancellation of the former West Bengal Transport minister's bail, which was granted by a sessions court on September 9, on the ground that the matter is urgent.
CBI claimed that Mitra was an influential person and that his remaining free on bail could influence witnesses.

The chief justice directed the CBI counsel to file an application in this regard, following which he filed a written plea seeking early hearing of the petition.

Following this, the court of the chief justice assigned the matter before the division bench of Justice Mhatre.
The Alipore Sessions Court had granted bail to Mitra on a bail bond and surety of Rs 15 lakh each, rejecting CBI's opposition.
The former minister has been charged under sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC.
Mitra, who was arrested on December 12, 2014 for his alleged complicity in the Saradha scam, had earlier been granted bail by the additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM) of Alipore Sessions Court on October 31, 2015 after several of his bail pleas were rejected by different courts.

But the breather had turned out to be brief as the Calcutta High Court cancelled his bail on November 19, 2015 on a petition by the investigating agency.