Kolkata : Authorities have turned down Saradha scam accused Kunal Ghosh’s mother’s request to hand over her son’s unpublished books — confiscated by officials on his arrest — arguing that there was no law allowing their release.
Citing lack of any express law in this regard, the West Bengal Correctional Administration refused the request of 80-year old Monika Ghosh. In May, she wrote to the jail authorities asking for two novels written by the suspended Trinamool Rajya Sabha member, who has been behind bars since November 2013 and charge-sheeted by the CBI in the multi-crore-rupee scam.
The two books in Bengali are now in the custody of the superintendent of the Presidency Correctional Home where the journalist-turned-politician is now lodged. While the matter was referred to the state home department’s press and publication section, it in turn asked Additional Director General of Correctional Services Adhir Sharma to take a call.
“Since there is no provision either under the Correctional Services Act concerning the matter it was difficult for me to take a decision on whether the books can be published or handed over to her mother as requested,” Sharma told IANS on Friday. When contacted by IANS, correctional services minister Haider Aziz Safwi, said: “I don’t comment on any inmate.” “Going by his theatrics, and the sensational claims that he has been making about the involvement of Trinamool leaders in the Saradha scam, the books would be controversial, is to say the least,” said a jail official here in the state capital.
