The Calcutta High Court on Thursday rejected a petition seeking a stay on the voice sample test of Sujay Krishna Bhadra, the prime accused in the multi-crore school recruitment case in West Bengal.
The development comes place at a time when uncertainties are looming over the timing of the test as Bhadra, also known as Kalighater Kaku (uncle of Kalighat), is currently admitted at the SSKM Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata
Following the implantation of a stent on Tuesday evening, the timing of his return to judicial custody is also unknown.
However, while rejecting the petition, the single-judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh observed that whether the same could be treated as evidence against Bhadra in the court will be decided by the any competent court at a later stage.
He also observed that in this stage of investigation, the matter of voice sample test cannot be stopped.
During the course of hearing on Thursday, Bhadra’s counsel Kishore Dutta questioned how the Enforcement Directorate (ED) received permission to conduct the voice sample test.
“The permission for conducting the test was given by a lower court. Permissions for such tests are generally given by the Union home ministry under special circumstances,” Dutta argued.
In his counter-argument, ED counsel Phiroze Edulji argued that the test is extremely important in the matter and the central agency sleuths can conduct it once Bhadra is to judicial custody.
The ED is supposed to present its charge sheet naming Bhadra by July 29 at a PMLA court in Kolkata.
Sources said that in the charge sheet, the central agency will give details of properties and assets registered in the name of Bhadra, his family members and close associates besides focusing on how disproportionate these assets were to his income.
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