File photo of Bengal minister Madan Mitra
The Calcutta High Court today rejected the bail application of Madan Mitra, the West Bengal minister for transport who was arrested for links with the Saradha scam in December last year. Kapil Sibal, lawyer and Congress leader, had flown in from Delhi to plead for bail on behalf of Mr Mitra, but the Central Bureau of Investigation lawyer, K Raghavacharyulu, strongly opposed the plea.
"We will study the full order and decide our next step. I have my right of appeal and I shall exhaust all to prove that I am innocent," said Niladri Bhattacharya, junior advocate for Mr Mitra. "Mr Madan Mitra is innocent until proved guilty. Merely filing of charge sheet does not make him guilty," he added.
CBI lawyer Asraf Ali said Mr Mitra, 60, is a minister and an influential person who may influence the case if he is out on bail. "Mr Mitra has been in a VIP ward in a government hospital since February. We don't know why. The judge also asked the bail petitioners why but they could not satisfy the bench," Mr Ali said. "That he is in hospital for so long proves he is influential."
The fact that Mr Sibal flew down in a chartered flight for the court appearance has raised eyebrows in political circles. Earlier this year, when he represented the Bengal government in Supreme Court in the Saradha chit fund case, state Congress leaders had condemned it, saying, Mr Sibal's profession seemed to be more important to him than his politics. This time, the Congress was more subdued in its criticism, leading other opposition parties to wonder a Congress-Trinamool understanding was on the cards.
Mr Madan Mitra's family reportedly sought Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee's permission before hiring the services of Mr Kapil Sibal.