Cash-for-job: Court asks medical board to evaluate voice sampling test of prime accused Sujay Bhadra

Kolkata: A special court in Kolkata on Saturday directed a central hospital here to form a medical board to evaluate the voice sampling test of Sujay Krishna Bhadra, a prime accused in the multi-crore cash-for-school job case in West Bengal.

The ESI Hospital at Joka in the southern outskirts of Kolkata has been entrusted by the special court with the task of forming the medical board for the purpose.

The special court has given the instruction following an appeal from Enforcement Directorate (ED) informing the court about repeated refusal from the authorities of the state-run S.S.K.M. Medical College & Hospital in South Kolkata, where Bhadra is housed now, to allow the central agency sleuths to conduct the voice sampling test of the accused on medical grounds.

In its argument in the special court, the ED has made a submission that since Bhadra is admitted at a hospital of his choice even months after completion of his bypass surgery, a separate medical board at a different and central hospital should be formed to evaluate his medical conditions.

After its fresh communique to S.S.K.M. authorities earlier this month seeking time for conducting the voice sampling test failed to evoke any positive response, the ED officials approached the special court.

In the fresh communique, the sources said that the central agency sleuths have specifically inquired about the date and time when they can reach the hospital and conduct the voice sampling test.

Earlier, the same special court gave permission to ED twice for conducting the voice sampling test.

The voice sample test has become imperative now following the Calcutta High Court's direction to wind up the investigation into the school jobs case by December 31.