Sudeshna: In anguish

Dhanbad, May 23: The court of chief judicial magistrate (CJM) Deepak Kumar today rejected the bail petition of Rajesh Bhattacharjee, the fine arts teacher of Dhanbad Public School, accused of conspiring his wife’s murder.

Going by Bhattacharjee’s statement recorded by the police during the time of his arrest, the magistrate turned down the plea of Bhattacharjee’s defence lawyer.

The defence lawyer contested that the statement recorded by the police during the time of arrest did not have much judicial importance. He pointed out that the police inspector, who lodged the FIR with the Seraidhela police station, had also recorded the statement of the other accused, Vijay Mishra.

But the court took into consideration the “hand in conspiracy” as a vital point of non-granting a bail. Bhattacharjee and his accomplice Vijay Mishra were framed under Section 25(I-B)A, Section 26/35 of Arms Act and Section 120 (B) of Indian Penal Code (IPC). The defence lawyer, however, claimed these sections were applicable for Mishra, who was caught with the arms.

Additional public prosecutor Vijay Shankar Singh strongly opposed the bail plea on the ground that the FIR revealed a clear and deep involvement of Bhattacharjee.

Bhattacharjee’s father, Chandidas Bhattacharjee, though, stood by his son. After meeting his son in the jail today he said his son had been repeatedly saying that he was innocent and was being trapped.

The FIR meanwhile revealed that the main accused, Vijay Mishra, son of Lakhan Mishra, is a native of Jamui. He had come to Dhanbad almost five years ago. Mishra’s residence is a shabby dilapidated mud-tiled house surrounded by bushes, which is suspicious to the police

Though the police were yet to provide any substantial evidence against Mishra they were doubtful about his mysterious residence.

“Seeing his mysterious stay here for the past five years we are doubtful whether he used to operate on a broader criminal base,” said the inspector of Jharia police station and the lodger of the FIR Awdhesh Kumar Singh.