Amarendra Nath Ghosh, the city scamster who swallowed a 10-cm knife three years ago in Germany to avoid extradition, said on Tuesday that he had no problems with it inside him.

“I practise yoga and know how to live with a knife inside. I can take it out whenever I want to by performing a set of asanas,” claimed Ghosh, who was produced before the CBI’s special court in Alipore in the afternoon.

He was brought to Delhi from Munich on Monday by a team — consisting of CBI officials, two surgeons and an anaesthetist equipped with medicines and surgical equipment — on a special aircraft in connection with a series of bank frauds to the tune of Rs 27.69 crore.

“I have been practising yoga in the German jail for over five years and this gives me immense inner strength,” said Ghosh.

Before being taken to Presidency jail from court, the Kasba resident said he felt “very happy” to be back in Calcutta.

A surprise awaited him in court in the form of his sister Sathi and his father. As soon as Ghosh was taken to the third floor, his sister tied a rakhi on his wrist, after taking permission from the judge.

“It was a wonderful surprise, especially on Rakhi Purnima,” said Ghosh.

The joy remained short-lived, as the CBI special court rejected his bail petition. The judge also rejected an appeal that he be allowed to be operated on in a private hospital at his own expense.

The judge ruled that he would be first examined by doctors at the jail hospital and then, if required, shifted to a government hospital.

The German authorities had granted Ghosh’s extradition in April 2003. He approached the constitutional courts against it. When his pleas went in vain, he swallowed the knife and declined to undergo surgery, delaying his extradition.

The German authorities agreed to hand him over to the CBI on the condition that he be brought to India in an “air ambulance”.