Partho Dasgupta back in Taloja jailPartho Dasgupta back in Taloja jail

In contrast to the compassion shown to the Tandav team in granting transit anticipatory bail, Justice PD Naik of the Bombay High Court has refused to intervene in the transfer of former Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) CEO Partho Dasgupta from JJ Hospital, Mumbai to the Taloja Central Prison after his discharge from the hospital.

Justice Naik agreed to hear the urgent application at 7 pm well after normal court hours but refused to intervene in the matter. Partho Dasgupta’s lawyer submitted that the court should allow him to be admitted to a private hospital on health grounds. He told the Court that Partho Dasgupta was not well and need medical care.

The Chief Public Prosecutor Deepak Thakare opposed the application and submitted that the rules were being followed and Partho Dasgupta will get the care he deserves.

He assured the Court that the Taloja medical officers would continue treating Dasgupta in accordance with the JJ Hospital discharge note.

Partho Dasgupta, critics of the Uddhav government claim has been falsely implicated in the TRP scam case after he refused to falsely implicate Arnab Goswami of Republic TV. Partho Dasgupta and Arnab Goswami are friends and their friendly banter on WhatsApp has been released to the public by the Mumbai police in an attempt to smear the image of Arnab Goswami.

Partho Dasgupta was badly beaten up in TRaloja jail and was brought to hospital and allegedly left unattended for more than 14 hours.

His family claim they were not informed and when after 14 hours the hospital informed the family, they found Partho lying in a pool of blood on a stretcher unhclad. There were fears that he may not survive the beating.

While he was recovering in the hospital, Dasgupta’s lawyers applied for his bail in the Mumbai Sessions court. His application for bail was rejected by the court.

Pending the disposal of the application, through advocate Arjun Singh Thakur, Dasgupta sought interim bail for two weeks or to be transferred to PD Hinduja Hospital for his treatment.

Thakur, appearing for Dasgupta, argued that the urgency for moving the application arose because Dasgupta was being transferred to prison despite being unfit.

Using a video evidence showing Dasgupta being taken away in a stretcher, Thakur argued if Partho Dasgupta had been fit, he would not need a stretcher.

Opposing the prayer, Maharashtra State’s prosecutor told the court that the normal procedure was being followed. He submitted that Partho being discharged from the hospital, would naturally go back to – Taloja jail where he had come from.

He further assured the court that following the normal procedure, a prison medical officer would examine Dasgupta and if deemed necessary would be shifted back to JJ Hospital.

Convinced by this submission of Deepak Thakare, Justice Naik concluded that interference was not necessary.

The Court, however, directed the State to submit all the relevant medical records of Dasgupta pertaining to his admission in the JJ Hospital and his subsequent examination by the Taloja medical officer on Monday.

The bail application of Partho Dasgupta has been posted for hearing by the Bombay High Court on Monday, January 25.

Partho Dasgupta is accused of conniving with his friend Arnab Goswami of Republic TV and other officials to manipulate TRP ratings. He was BARC CEO until November 2019. The Crime Branch of Mumbai police has charged him under sections 409(criminal breach of trust by a public servant), 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code.