Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday
rejected the bail prayer of former minister and CPI-M MLA
Susanta Ghosh in connection with the skeleton case.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice J N Patel and
Justice A K Roy rejected the plea of Ghosh, who is in custody
since August 11.
The prosecution claimed there was sufficient evidence
provided by the CID on Ghosh's complicity in the murder of
Ajay Acharya, whose son filed the FIR following discovery of
his skeleton from a pit.
Seven skeletons were dug out from a pit in a field near
Ghosh's ancestral house at Benachapra in West Midnapore
district. DNA tests proved that one of the skeletons was that
of Acharya. In the FIR, Shyamal named Ghosh as one of the key
accused.
He alleged that his father had been murdered along with
the other six, all Trinamool Congress supporters, in September
2002 and their bodies were buried.
Public prosecutor Debasish Roy submitted that if bailed
out, Ghosh would try to influence witnesses and this would
hamper the trial. He stated that as the charge sheet has
already been filed and trial was about to commence, bail
should not be granted at this stage.
Appearing for Ghosh, his counsel Balai Roy submitted
that it was a politically-motivated case and was filed after a
change in the government. He said that the MLA's absence from
his constituency was hampering development work.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, September 29, 2011, 21:27