KOLKATA: Saradha Group Media CEO and suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh was remanded in police custody for five days after his bail plea was rejected by the Bidhannagar additional chief judicial magistrate’s court on Sunday.

Ghosh was brought to the court under tight security at 10.15am. As the cops escorted him out of the car, a posse of waiting reporters asked if he wanted to name anybody. Ghosh, looking tired after a night in jail, did not respond.

In the morning, police took Ghosh to his Sukeas Street residence and seized a CPU from there.

Referring to his client as ‘a sitting MP, a noted journalist and one with no criminal antecedents’, Sudipta Maitra, Ghosh’s defence lawyer, said: “What is the necessity of putting him behind bars when he has already been interrogated 13 times and cooperated fully with the investigating agencies?” Maitra claimed there was no definite allegation against Ghosh.

Ghosh was arrested by the Bidhannagar police commissionerate on Saturday in connection with a case lodged by Tara channel employee Indrajit Roy on April 16 this year. This was 13 days after Ghosh had resigned.

Maitra said the April 16 complaint mentioned that Saradha CMD Sudipta Sen — the owner of Tara Music and Tara News — had not disbursed salaries for the last three months. The complaint added that on April 15, the employees had received an intimation declaring closure of the channels. Ghosh’s name was nowhere mentioned in the complaint, Maitra claimed.

“All the other main accused were granted bail in this case and Ghosh had no role in the financial matters of the company,” his lawyer said.

Public prosecutor Sekhar Chakraborty argued that had the police been vindictive, they would have arrested Ghosh on the very first day. “He was arrested after police were satisfied that he worked hand-in-glove with Sudipta Sen and Debjani Mukherjee. Moreover, Ghosh had failed to cooperate with the investigative agencies on some points,” he said.

He stressed that Ghosh might divulge more information while in custody.

At this point, Ghosh, a little restless, spoke out: “Sir, ami kichu bolte chai ( Sir, I want to say something).”

When the judge gave his nod, Ghosh briefed Soumyajit Raha, one of his counsels. Raha later submitted that the quantum of salary quoted by the public prosecutor was exaggerated and that Ghosh’s income tax details were with the investigators.

After listening to both parties, ACJM Apurva Kumar Ghosh rejected Ghosh’s bail plea. Maitra later said they might move sessions court. “We will decide on the future course of action,” he said.

On Saturday night, a Facebook post attributed to Ghosh referred to some big names who had allegedly been “benefited by Saradha, directly or indirectly”.

This created a ripple in political circles. The post was removed on Sunday. Reacting to this, Trinamool spokesperson Derek O’Brien iterated what he had said on Friday: “The law will take its own course.”

Party MP Subhendu Adhikari, one of those named in the FB post, said they might move court and file a defamation case.

When being escorted out of court, Ghosh said he would continue with his fast. He was offered tea and samosa after being arrested on Saturday which he refused. Ghosh will be produced again in court on November 29.