Cash for jobs scam: Calcutta High Court seeks report after PILs allege SSKM Hospital has become safe shelter for accused

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday asked the Director of the IPGME&R and SSKM Hospital at Kolkata to file a report in the wake of allegations that the hospital has become a "safe shelter" for politically influential persons arrested or accused in cases including the school jobs for cash scam being probed by Central investigating agencies [Niladri Saha v. State of West Bengal and ors]..A bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya passed the order after two public interest litigation (PIL) petitions were filed raising concerns that ordinary hospital goers were being affected due to the prolonged stay of high-profile and politically influential persons at the hospital. It was further contended that such influential accused persons were being shielded at the hospital from investigation by Central agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).One such accused Minister was seen walking and chatting in hospital corridors, implying that he was physically fit to be sent back to correctional homes, a petitioner argued today. .The Court observed that the allegations, if proved to be true, were serious."Allegation is, you are sheltering them, as a result of which, the entire infrastructure gets blocked and a third party who is suffering will not be given treatment because a battery of doctors are behind this influential people. What we need to do is, making an independent evaluation of their health condition, that's the only way. We'll hear the learned Advocate General ... If a person able to move around, speak to people, almost a normal life, walking around corridors ... then who is to monitor? It is a very serious allegation against you ... File an affidavit giving a list of influential persons in hospital ... They say that the doctors are helpless," the Chief Justice orally observed. .In its order, the Court said that it is not recording any opinion on the allegations made since a request was made for the Advocate General to make submissions for the State government. "Admittedly, the SSKM Hospital and the IPGMER is a government establishment which caters to all categories of people, regardless of their social or economic status. If the allegations made in the writ petition (s) turns out to be true, it is a very serious matter. It is no doubt true that the Court cannot embark upon an evaluation exercise of the health condition of those accused who are now being admitted in the hospital and it is for the treating doctors to make an honest assessment as to whether they are continued to be kept in the hospital or fit enough to be sent back to the correctional home," the Court noted. .The Court proceeded to ask the hospital's director to file a report on facilities being availed by its patients and their health conditions, which would cover those persons who are under custody and are being investigated by central agencies. "In order to get a clearer picture, we direct the director of IPGMER and SSKM hospital, Kolkata to file a report as to the facilities available and to how long such facilities have been availed by the various patients and a brief note on their health conditions. After such report in filed in the form of an affidavit, the Court will hear the learned Advocate General and proceed further in the matter," the Court's order said..The matter before the Court was mentioned for an urgent hearing earlier this week, when the Court was apprised that Sujay Krishna Bhadra, one of the prime accused in the school jobs for cash scam case, was among those admitted to the hospital. The petitioner had claimed that this was done only to stall the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) probe in the case.