Bombay HC refuses interim relief to ex-BARC CEO Partho Dasgupta, to hear bail plea on Monday

The Bombay high court (HC) on Friday refused the urgent interim relief sought by former Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) chief executive officer (CEO) Partho Dasgupta, who had sought directions to the state government to shift him to private hospital after being discharged from state-run Sir JJ Hospital. Dasgupta moved a praecipe for urgent hearing of his bail application after the session court rejected his bail plea in the alleged television rating point (TRP) manipulation case on Wednesday.

A single-judge bench of justice Prakash D Naik heard Dasgupta’s application, moved through advocate Arjun Singh Thakur, in his chambers on Friday evening after regular court hours.

In the application, Dasgupta sought interim bail for two weeks as well as directions to transfer him to Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai citing that he was not fit to be discharged from Sir JJ Hospital but was being moved to Taloja jail. Thakur submitted that the family of the applicant were informed late that Dasgupta has been discharged from the hospital at 6pm on Friday and that he was shifted to Taloja jail. It is submitted that on account of ill health, the applicant may be directed to be admitted to private hospital.

The state government, however, opposed the plea submitting that Dasgupta would be kept under observation in Taloja jail hospital before he was moved into the barracks.

Chief public prosecutor Deepak Thakare for the state opposed the application seeking interim relief and submitted that there was no urgent need for Dasgupta to be shifted to a private hospital. Thakare submitted that in accordance with procedure, the medical officer of the jail would examine the applicant and if the officer finds it necessary at any point of time that the applicant is required to be admitted to Sir JJ Hospital again, they would take appropriate steps.

The court, while refusing to grant any urgent relief, directed the state government to place the Dasgupta’s discharge papers of Sir JJ Hospital and the medical report of the jail hospital before it on Monday. It also permitted the interim plea to be heard urgently on Monday.

Dasgupta was arrested on December 24 in connection with the TRP manipulation case on charges of criminal breach of trust and cheating. He had filed a bail application before the metropolitan magistrate’s court which was rejected. Following this, he had moved sessions court which has also rejected the application on January 20.