Calcutta High Court today accepted a plea by the Enforcement Directorate seeking to move arrested TMC leader and West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee from state run SSKM Hospital in Kolkata to AIIMS Bhubaneswar. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had submitted a petition in the Calcutta High Court seeking to transfer West Bengal cabinet minister and former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee to the Command hospital from the SSKM hospital in Kolkata. While initially ED had sought to move the TMC leader to Army Command Hospital in Kolkata, they had later proposed that he can be shifted to any AIIMS in Delhi, Bhubaneswar etc. Accepting this proposal, the high court ordered that he will be shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
A single bench of Justice Bibek Chaudhuri of Calcutta High Court heard the ED petition on 24th July 2022 and ordered that the accused be moved to AIIMS Bhubaneswar by air ambulance. The ED had moved the plea earlier today after a local court yesterday had ordered Partha Chatterjee to admit to a hospital. After he was remanded to ED custody for two days in the SSC teacher recruitment scam, he had complained of chest pain, and the court had allowed him to shift to the SSKM hospital instead of ED custody.
Partha chatterjee wil be taken to AIIMS #Bhubaneswar . See Calcutta HC order @news18dotcom pic.twitter.com/PHkHjcTXGp
— Kamalika Sengupta (@KamalikaSengupt) July 24, 2022
The Calcutta High Court, in its order, said, “In order to facilitate the learned Trial Judge to take a proper decision on the above issue, this Court passes the following direction: The Investigating Agency is directed to take the accused by air ambulance to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar in the early morning on 25th July 2022. The accused shall be taken to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport Calcutta by an ambulance from S.S.K.M. Super specialty Hospital. He will be accompanied by a doctor of S.S.K.M. Super specialty Hospital and an Advocate for the accused. The AIIMS, Bhubaneswar Authority is directed to medically examine the accused by a team of specialist doctors of Cardiology, Nephrology, Respiratory Medicines, and Endocrinology.”
The high court further ruled, “The AIIMS, Bhubaneswar will prepare a report and hand over the copies of the same to the Investigating Officer, Medical Officer of S.S.K.M. Super specialty Hospital and the learned Advocate for the accused by 3:00 p.m. on 25 July 2022. The Investigating Officer shall forward a soft copy of the above-mentioned medical report to his counterpart in Calcutta who, in turn, shall produce it before the learned Special Judge under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.”
On the next date of hearing, the high court said, “The learned Special Judge, shall take up the hearing of the case at 4:00 p.m. on 25 July 2022. The Investigating Officer shall make necessary arrangements for the production of the accused through the medium of electronic video linkage under amending provision of Clause (b) of sub section (2) of Section 167 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (West Bengal Act 20 of 2004, Section 31.”
After the hearing was over, the high court had reserved the decision. At that time, Ayan Poddar, lawyer of Partha Chatterjee, had told the media, “As of now, Court has reserved the judgment & final order will be pronounced shortly. ED gave a proposal that he can be shifted to some other hospital like AIIMS Delhi, Bhubaneswar but the court did not say anything about it.”
As of now, Court has reserved the judgement & final order will be pronounced shortly. ED gave proposal that he can be shifted to some other hospital like AIIMS Delhi, Bhubaneswar but the court did not say anything about it: Ayan Poddar, lawyer of West Bengal Min Partha Chatterjee pic.twitter.com/17Ru1LxkEc
— ANI (@ANI) July 24, 2022
He also said, “Court also gave a proposal that doctors of AIIMS can be called here for his checkup. The final order of the court is awaited.”
Court also gave a proposal that doctors of AIIMS can be called here for his checkup. The final order of the court is awaited: Ayan Poddar, lawyer of West Bengal cabinet minister Partha Chatterjee
— ANI (@ANI) July 24, 2022
Before this, ED urged the court not to count the stay of the accused in the hospital as Custody. The central probing agency appealed, “The period of the hospital should not be treated as Custody. If he needs medical treatment we can take him to the best hospital in Delhi or AIIMS Kalyani.” Responding to this, Justice Bibek Chaudhuri cited the example of Madan Mitra, and Anubrata Mondal as they also got admitted to the hospital as it’s a safe zone.
Another appeal from ED is that the period of hospital should not be treated as Custody. If he needs medical treatment we can take him to the best hospital in Delhi or AIIMS Kalyani.
— ANI (@ANI) July 24, 2022
The Enforcement Directorate detained Partha Chatterjee on 23rd July 2022 in connection with the teacher recruitment fraud in West Bengal. TMC leader Partha Chatterjee’s arrest took place just one day after a huge stash cash was found in actor Arpita Mukherjee’s residence. Arpita Mukherjee, a close aide to West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee, was detained after unearthing Rs 21 crore in cash at her residence.
The ED is following the money trail in the scandal as the CBI is investigating the suspected anomalies in the School Service Commission (SSC) recruitment. Partha Chatterjee was presented before the Bankshall Court in Kolkata after he was arrested. He was given to ED’s custody. While in custody, Partha Chatterjee experienced chest pain symptoms and was rushed to the SSKM hospital in Kolkata. Today Arpita Mukherjee was also remanded to one-day custody of ED.
