Kolkata: In a major development, the Calcutta High Court has asked the Enforcement Directorate to take state cabinet minister and former state education minister Partha Chatterjee, arrested by the central agency on Friday, for his alleged involvement in the SSC recruitment scam, to All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Bhuvaneshwar by air ambulance on Tuesday morning for proper medical check-up.
Accepting the ED plea to transfer ‘highly influential’ Chatterjee from the state-run SSKM hospital to an impartial hospital, Justice Vivek Chowdhury asked the central agency to arrange for an air ambulance so that he can be taken to the neighboring state for treatment. The Enforcement Directorate alleged that the state-run hospital was trying to hide the accused in the name of treatment.
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Challenging the lower court order to shift Chatterjee to SSKM treatment on Saturday, ED lawyer Debashis Roy said, “The role of this hospital is questionable. We have noticed that the ED officers are being mistreated and they are being threatened. More than 21 crores and 20 mobiles have been recovered. The matter is very serious because the person arrested is a very influential person”.
Urging the High Court to cancel the lower order, Roy said, “The arrested has been treated at Joka ESI and they have given a fit certificate”. Questioning the lower court order to send Chatterjee to a particular hospital, the ED lawyer said, “Why one particular hospital? We will give him the best possible treatment if needed in AIIMS Delhi but efforts are being made to hide corruption in the name of treatment. He has been given two days of custody but we couldn’t even question him because he was in the hospital”. The ED lawyer then submitted the fit certificate given by ESI and alleged that the ED certificate was even fudged.
The High Court then ordered ED to take him to Bhuvaneshwar AIIMS and said that one medical officer from SSKM will be present with him. Chatterjee was arrested by ED on Friday for his alleged involvement in the SSC recruitment scam. He was given two days of custody by a lower court and will be heard on Monday where Chatterjee will be present virtually.
