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Tripura ex-Minister sent to three-day judicial custody

By Correspondent

AGARTALA, Nov 8 - Former Tripura PWD Minister and Deputy Leader of Opposition Badal Choudhury was sent to three-day judicial custody by a local court today, notwithstanding the prosecution�s strong plea for his police remand for interrogation.

Choudhury, who was arrested last month for his alleged involvement in the Rs 600-crore PWD scam, was admitted to GBP Hospital for a week.

Soon after he was discharged from the hospital today, senior police officials rushed to the hospital and took him to the court for production. The police sought him in their custody for seven days for sustained interrogation.

During hearing, Choudhury�s lawyer pointed out that the seven-time MLA has recently suffered a brain stroke, which partially retarded his memory and he needed regular physiotherapy.

His lawyer also stated that �inhuman treatment� was meted out to the former PWD Minister.

After hearing the defence lawyer and the prosecution, District and Sessions Judge Sabyasachi Dutta Purkayastha sent the accused to judicial custody for three days.

The court also asked the jail authority to treat him in accordance with his status and provide him proper medical care.

�I would like to assert that we will win the case and the corruption charges framed against me are politically motivated,� Choudhury told media persons while he was being taken to the court.

Choudhury, a CPI-M central committee member, had moved the Tripura High Court on October 18 after West Tripura District and Sessions Court rejected his anticipatory bail petition on October 16.

On October 31, Tripura High Court judge Arindam Lodh had also rejected his bail petition.

Another accused in this case, the then Principal Secretary YP Singh, could not be arrested yet even after a crime branch team was sent to Delhi last week to track him down. His wife, however, approached the High Court for anticipatory bail, which is scheduled to come up for further hearing on November 15.

The third accused, the then Chief Engineer Sunil Bhowmik, is in judicial custody.

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