KOLKATA: A single-judge bench of Calcutta High Court on Friday granted bail to Sujay Krishna Bhadra, prime accused in the cash-for-school job case in West Bengal registered against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
An attempt by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is conducting a parallel probe in the school job case, to show Bhadra as arrested in the same case as the accused could not be presented at a special court in Kolkata for the purpose because of his medical conditions.
While granting bail to Bhadra in the ED-registered case, the single-judge bench imposed a number of restrictions on that.
Justice Ghosh had clearly said that the Bhadra should not make any attempt to tamper with or alter the evidence in the school job case. Bhadra should also not make any attempt to influence the witnesses in the matter, the single-judge bench had observed.
The court had also directed Bhadra to submit his passport to the investigative agency officials. At the same time, he will not be permitted to leave West Bengal without the prior permission of the court.
Bhadra was arrested last year by ED officials in connection with the school job case. Since then, he has been under judicial custody at Presidency Central Correctional Home in South Kolkata.
Recently, CBI moved a petition at a special court in Kolkata to show him as arrested in the school job case. However, the judge of the special court observed that he could not be shown as arrested unless he was physically present in the court.
However, CBI failed to do that since the correctional home authorities intimated that the medical conditions of Bhadra are not suitable for being physically present at the court.
Another hearing in the matter is scheduled at the special court on Friday and it is to be seen whether CBI is ultimately able to physically present him at the court.