Ailing Saradha director allowed to lie down in court

Debjani Mukherjee had been arrested along with Sudipta Sen

Debjani Mukherjee, the ailing executive director of chit fund scam-tainted Saradha group and close aide of the company’s chairman and managing director (CMD), remanded in judicial custody till May 31 by a local court, was allowed to lie down on a bench during proceedings on Monday.

The Bidhannagar police, in whose custody she was since her arrest from Sonmarg in Jammu and Kashmir on April 23, decided against seeking an extension of the period of custody with them.

She had been arrested along with Sudipta Sen, CMD, and an associate.

Ms. Mukherjee, who was produced before the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Bidhannagar) A.H.M. Rahman, had been admitted to a hospital last week. She was to have been presented before the court on May 18 but had to be hospitalised after she complained of sickness.

Referring to the developments in the court during the day, Ms. Banerjee’s counsel Anirban Guhathakurta said: “We vehemently opposed the move by the police to produce her before the court when she was feeling very ill and even unable to stand on her feet.”

During the hearing, the judge first asked her to be seated and a chair was given to her. But as she continued to feel uneasy she was asked to lie down on a bench next to the court lock-up, Mr. Guhathakurta told

The Hindu .

On questions being raised about Ms. Mukherjee being admitted to a private nursing home, Mr. Guhathakurta said that it was the responsibility of the police to provide necessary treatment to her and accordingly they had her admitted to the hospital nearest the court.