Sushanta Ghosh

Calcutta, Sept. 26: CPM MLA Sushanta Ghosh and his wife Karuna had furnished “non-existent” PAN details in their asset-declaration affidavits filed before the Assembly elections, investigation by Calcutta police’s detective department has revealed.

The revelation comes at a time the former western region development minister is in jail custody on the charge of involvement in the murder of seven Trinamul Congress activists in Keshpur in 2002.

“The income tax department had confirmed that the PAN details furnished by Sushanta Ghosh and his wife were non-existent. We came to know about this while investigating the haul of Rs 5 lakh in cash from the MLA’s D.L. Khan Road apartment,” a detective department officer said.

If the charge is proved, Sushanta could be disqualified as an MLA and handed two years’ simple imprisonment.

Damayanti Sen, the joint commissioner of police (crime), said the Election Commission had been informed about the “fake” PAN card details.

“We filed a petition in Alipore court today seeking Sushanta’s custody but he was remanded in judicial custody till October 1. The court, however, has allowed us to interrogate the MLA in jail whenever required,” Sen said.

Poll panel sources said the commission could not take any action against Sushanta as the election process was over. “He has already taken oath as an MLA. There is nothing we can do now. Penal action, if any, has to be taken by the judiciary,” an Election Commission official said.

“The affidavit is for public information. Now, a citizen can file a case against the accused for misinformation,” he added.

Advocate Gitanath Ganguli, however, said the Election Commission could initiate a civil case against Sushanta under the Representation of the People Act.

“But the judiciary will have to take the final decision on the punishment. If Sushanta is proved guilty, he can be disqualified as MLA. Then the police can start a criminal case against him, charging him with misleading the Election Commission. If that charge is proved, Sushanta could get two years of simple imprisonment,” Ganguli said.

Calcutta High Court today deferred till Wednesday the hearing of Sushanta’s bail petition after his counsel said they were yet to receive a copy of the chargesheet filed by the CID in a Midnapore court. The division bench of Chief Justice J.N. Patel and Justice A.K. Roy asked the state government to provide the lawyers copies of the chargesheet by Wednesday.