Saradha scam: SC declines to entertain bail plea of ex-Union Mininister

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain the bail plea of former Union Minister Matang Sinh, arrested in connection with the multi-crore rupee Saradha chit fund scam case, and asked him to approach Calcutta High Court.

A vacation bench of Justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy asked Sinh to approach the High Court for the remedy sought on health grounds and dismissed the plea as withdrawn.

The bench, however, granted liberty to Sinh to mention the petition before the High Court, which has re-opened after vacation today.

Senior advocate Amit Sibal, appearing for Sinh, said he had undergone liver transplant in 2004 and the life of the transplant is about 10 years and thus he urgently needed treatment.

The bench said there was already an order of the court that whatever the medical facility is available should be provided to him.

Sibal said his health conditions are deteriorating with each passing day and if not treated urgently he may go into coma.

The court, however, refused to accept the arguments and said it was a pre-mature petition and the accused can approach the High Court. It allowed Sibal to withdraw the petition.

On November 6 last year, the apex court had refused to hear the plea of Sinh, saying the probe was not yet complete. Sinh, a former Congress MP from Assam, was arrested by the CBI on January 31 last year in connection with Saradha Realty case on charges of criminal conspiracy and cheating.

The CBI had last year filed the charge sheet against Sinh and his four companies in connection with the case.