Kolkata: Opposition parties in West Bengal today hailed the cancellation of the bail to Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra, who is an accused in the Saradha chit fund scam, even as the ruling party declined to comment on the development.
CPI(M) state secretary and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Surjya Kanta Mishra, said, "The state and the central governments have to ensure that the looted, hard- earned money of the common man in the Saradha scam is returned to them at the earliest.
"Mitra may lose his ministry and bail, but the real point is the return of the looted money to the common people who were cheated in the Saradha scam."
BJP secretary Siddharth Nath Singh said that CBI appealing for the cancellation of Mitra's bail proves that there has been no "match-fixing" between TMC and BJP as has been alleged by other opposition parties.
"The opposition has been alleging that there is an 'under- the-wraps' (sic) friendship between BJP and TMC. But the truth has come out today. It is the victory of the truth," he said.
Congress leader Abdul Mannan said that today's verdict in Calcutta Hight Court proves that "those who have committed a crime will have to pay for their sins".
"Those who have looted the money of poor people, need to return the money," he added.
Meanwhile, reacting to the cancellation of Mitra's bail, TMC leader and state urban development minister Firhad Hakim said, "We don't want to make any comment as the matter is sub judice."
Calcutta HC cancels Madan Mitra's bail, asks him to surrender
Kolkata: Calcutta High Court today cancelled the bail of Trinamool Congress leader and former minister Madan Mitra, accused in the multi-crore rupees Saradha chit fund scam, and asked him to surrender.
Allowing a petition by CBI pleading to cancel the bail granted by a lower court on October 31, a division bench of Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice Tapas Mukherjee asked Mitra, to surrender immediately after receiving a copy of the court's order.
Mitra's counsel S K Kapur sought seven days time to surrender, but the court rejected it.
During the hearing Mitra's lawyer argued that there is no evidence of tampering by his client who is "not a history-sheeter".
Mitra, who was arrested by CBI on December 12, 2014, for alleged complicity in the Saradha scam, was granted bail by Alipore court on October 31.
Later on Calcutta High Court directed that Mitra would remain in house confinement under police surveillance till the disposal of CBI's plea for cancellation of his bail.
Madan, who was the state's Transport Minister, submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday hours after CBI argued before the Calcutta High Court that his bail be cancelled. It was then forwarded to Governor K N Tripathi.
Citing his capacity to influence as a cabinet minister, the CBI had yesterday argued before the court that he could tamper with evidence as investigators are trying to find out the money trail.
The minister's bail prayers had been rejected by trial courts on a few occasions earlier and once by the High Court.
