Kolkata (The Hawk): In relation to the teachers' recruitment scandal, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Thursday extended the judicial custody of Partha Chatterjee, the former secretary general of the Trinamool Congress and minister of education for West Bengal, for an additional 14 days.
On January 5 of the following year, all seven defendants will be brought before the same court once more.
Selim Rahman, the attorney for Chatterjee, argued vehemently in court on Thursday, even challenging the CBI's ability to produce verifiable evidence in the case.
While making his case, he also made reference to the case of Ajmal Kasab, the key defendant in the 26/11 Mumbai tragedy.
"Although he was ultimately executed, he also underwent a thorough inquiry and legal process. However, in this instance, the investigative agency is not providing hard copies of any documents or evidence. I have never seen an investigation done in such a novel way. Let the investigating process move quickly, "Rahman countered.
Although the petitioner's attorney has levelled accusations of ineptitude, the CBI counsel countered that the rank or position of the accused has no bearing on the CBI's inquiry.
"The competency of CBI is under scrutiny. However, everyone is likely aware of what happened to Om Prakash Chautala and Lalu Yadav in CBI-investigated instances. The agency regularly updates the court on the status of its inquiry. Daily revelation of fresh perspectives during the course of the research is entirely normal. The accused, who are all people of great influence, are facing serious accusations. They must therefore be in custody in order for the inquiry to proceed smoothly "In his counterargument, the CBI lawyer stated.
After hearing from all sides, the court ultimately decided to prolong Partha Chatterjee's and the other six accused persons' judicial detention for a another 14 days.
(Inputs from Agencies)