Bengal school job case: ED sends fresh missive to SSKM Hospital for voice sample test of Sujay Bhadra

Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday sent a fresh communiqué to the state-run SSKM Medical College & Hospital in South Kolkata, seeking time to conduct the voice sampling test of Sujay Krishna Bhadra, a prime accused in the multi-crore cash-for-school-job case in West Bengal.

Sources said that the central agency sleuths have specifically enquired about the date and time when they can reach the hospital for the test.

Although a special court in Kolkata has authorised the ED to conduct the test, the court maintained that it can only be done after the permission of doctors there.

A previous attempt by the ED sleuths on October 26 to conduct the test failed after they were denied permission to hold the test by the doctors on the ground that Bhadra was not in a position to bear the stress of the voice sample test.

Bhadra was recently shifted to a cabin in the cardiology department of the hospital from the Intensive Care Unit. So, sources said, the ED has sent a fresh communiqué to SSKM seeking time for conducting the test.

To recall, the Special Court had first given ED the permission to conduct Bhadra's voice sample test in July, when the central agency had presented an audio clip in the court in which Bhadra could reportedly be heard giving instruction to someone to erase data from his mobile phone.

However, the voice sampling could not be done then as Bhadra got admitted to the hospital after complaining of chest pain, following which he underwent a bypass surgery.

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