Saradha scam accused Madan Mitra discharged from hospital, returns home

Kolkata: Saradha chit fund scam accused and West Bengal minister Madan Mitra on Monday returned home after being discharged from a private hospital and was kept in house confinement under police surveillance as per an order of the Calcutta High Court.

Mitra, who was admitted to Woodlands Hospital on November 3 after he complained of chest pain and uneasiness, was taken to his residence at Bhowanipore in south Kolkata soon after release, police officials said.

"Mitra has been declared fit and was released this morning," medical superintendent of Woodlands Hospital Dr Malati Purkait said.

The CBI had on November 3 moved the High Court seeking cancellation of his bail.

The Calcutta High Court had directed that Mitra, an accused in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam, would remain in house confinement under police surveillance till disposal of the CBI plea for cancellation of his bail.

Observing that Mitra is a Cabinet minister and has the power to influence witnesses if allowed to remain free, a division bench of justices Joymalyo Bagchi and Mir Dara Sheko directed that he remain confined to his residence once he is discharged from hospital.

It further directed that Mitra shall not move out of his house unless there was a medical emergency or requirement for investigation purposes by CBI.

Mitra was granted bail by an Alipore court on October 31. He had been undergoing treatment at the state-run SSKM Hospital since February 11 owing to various illnesses.

He was declared fit and discharged from SSKM Hospital, a state-owned facility, a day after the bail was granted following his release order from the Alipore Correctional

Home, from where he had been shifted to the hospital. Mitra was arrested by the CBI for alleged complicity in the Saradha scam in December, 2014.

Woodlands Hospital sources had earlier said that Mitra had complained of chest discomfort, pain and sweating and was attended to by a cardiologist at home and was advised hospitalisation.

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