Kunal Ghosh Gets Conditional Permission from Calcutta High Court to Travel Abroad
In a recent development from Kolkata, the Calcutta High Court has given Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh the go-ahead to travel abroad, but with a small catch. This comes as good news for the West Bengal General Secretary, who’s been eager to attend some cultural events in the UK and Ireland.
Ghosh’s lawyer, Ayan Chakraborty, filed a plea in the Calcutta High Court asking for permission for his client to make this trip. During Monday’s hearing, Chakraborty pointed out that Ghosh has always stuck to the rules. He even highlighted how Ghosh followed court guidelines during previous international trips, proving his reliability.
Justice Suvra Ghosh, heading the single-judge bench, agreed with the arguments. He allowed Ghosh to head abroad, but only after depositing Rs 5 lakh in the court. Once Ghosh returns, he’ll get the money back. This condition ensures everything stays in check while giving him the freedom to travel.
For those unfamiliar, Kunal Ghosh has been out on bail since October 2016, after spending nearly three years in jail. His arrest back in 2013 linked him to the massive Saradha Chit Fund Scam, a multi-crore fraud that shook West Bengal. Interestingly, Ghosh has already repaid Rs 2.67 crore to the authorities – money he earned as salary and from advertisements while working for the Saradha Group’s media company.
Even after getting bail, the court kept hold of his passport as part of the bail conditions. That’s why Ghosh needs to seek special permission from the Calcutta High Court every time he wants to travel abroad. This isn’t his first such request – earlier this year, he joined Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on her London trip to deliver a lecture at a college. The court granted permission then too, again with the Rs 5 lakh deposit requirement.
This latest nod shows the court’s balanced approach in handling bail conditions for figures involved in high-profile cases like the Saradha Chit Fund Scam. Fans of Ghosh and followers of West Bengal politics will be watching to see how this plays out. Stay tuned for more updates on Trinamool Congress and Calcutta High Court decisions.
