Calcutta/Bolpur, Aug. 4: Calcutta High Court today rejected the bail plea of former Visva-Bharati vice-chancellor Dilip Kumar Sinha and his two co-accused in the fake marksheet case, lecturer Mukti Deb and former registrar Dilip Kumar Mukherjee.

Justice P.. Sinha threw out the petitions, saying Sinha had not mentioned dates while attesting Deb’s marksheet and certificates.

“Moreover, he alone took Deb’s interview before appointing her a lecturer of the university,” he added.

Appearing for Sinha, counsel Jaimalya Bagchi said his ailing client has spent 44 days in jail. “Sinha, who underwent a bypass surgery last year and was subjected to mental stress, is not physically sound. His condition is alarming and (he) should be released on bail,” he said, adding that Sinha is a doctorate and commands prestige in society.

Public prosecutor Kazi Safiullah opposed the petition, saying: “There are many doctorates in the country. A former Union minister was also a doctorate. But he was a doctorate in palmistry. The court will have to see the gravity of the crime. The crime committed by educated people creates very bad impact on society. He should not be released for the sake of further investigation.”

Safiullah backed his argument by presenting a state police survey that showed that most of the heinous crimes in recent times were committed by graduates.

Appearing for Deb and Mukherjee, advocate Sekhar Basu pointed out that the investigating agencies had not yet served chargesheets on his clients. “They are responsible citizens and they will not leave the country if they are granted bail,” he said.

While their petitions were being heard in Calcutta, the three were produced, according to a previous schedule, before sub-divisional judicial magistrate Debashis Halder’s court at Bolpur. The court adjourned the matter till August 18.

High court sources said if the sleuths failed to chargesheet the accused within a fortnight, they will automatically be granted bail.