Calcutta HC rejects Congress leader's anticipatory bail plea

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Monday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of veteran Congress legislator Manas Bhunia who is an accused in the murder of a Trinamool Congress activist in West Bengal's West Midnapore district.

Bhunia was named as one of the prime accused by the family of Joydeb Jana who was allegedly murdered in Sabang in April during the assembly polls.

A former state Congress chief, Bhunia moved the high court after a West Midnapore court rejected his anticipatory bail in June .

However, he also failed to obtain any relief with a division bench of Justice Nadira Patherya rejecting his plea.

Notwithstanding the party's growing difference with him, state Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury extended support to Bhunia.

"The court order is unfortunate but the entire party stands behind Bhunia. The people of Sabang as well as we all know that Bhunia can't be a murderer. He has been falsely implicated by the Trinamool in pursuance of a conspiracy," said Chowdhury. 

Defying the party stand, Bhunia took up the post of the Bengal assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman. The Congress subsequently issued him a show cause notice.