KOLKATA: A fight has erupted between Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Bengal Industries Minister Partho Chatterjee’s lawyer over his hospital stay.
The ED arrested the state’s former Education Minister Chatterjee on Saturday, July 23, in connection with the SSC corruption case on Saturday morning after questioning him for 27 hours.
Chatterjee, 69 is admitted to state-run SSKM hospital in the cardiology department at cabin 1 after the minister complained of chest pain. He has several comorbidities. At first, he was admitted to ICCU and later shifted to a cabin.
The Public Prosecutor from ED Abhijit Bhadra told The New Indian, “They passed a wrong order yesterday of SSKM without our hearing. How can they just pass the order just like that?”
“Later we were asked what are you demanding? We questioned them why SSKM and not the Command hospital in Alipore? If any treatment will be necessary we will produce him to the Command hospital. We left are saying this. After that we found that they passed the order for SSKM and our petition has been ‘kept with the order’,” Bhadra said.
Defending their stand defence counsel Anindya Singh Rawat said, “As Chatterjee suffered chest pain, we filed a petition where we asked to arrange for his treatment in any super speciality hospital. Permission was given to take him to SSKM hospital. Later ED officials asked to recall the order and take him to Command hospital.”
“Our petition never had mention of any specific hospital but only super speciality hospital. Command hospital is not a super speciality hospital. Magistrate upheld SSKM order,” said Rawat.
Unsatisfied with the lower court order, ED has filed a petition in Calcutta High Court demanding an immediate hearing.