MY KOLKATA EDUGRAPH
ADVERTISEMENT
Regular-article-logo Wednesday, 16 July 2025

Court orders Panja arrest

A court has ordered the arrest of Shibaji Panja, the showbiz gatekeeper of Mamata Banerjee and the businessman who was part of the chief minister's delegation to Bangladesh.

Our Bureau Published 11.03.15, 12:00 AM
Shibaji Panja

March 10: A court has ordered the arrest of Shibaji Panja, the showbiz gatekeeper of Mamata Banerjee and the businessman who was part of the chief minister's delegation to Bangladesh.

The Barrackpore court cancelled its previous order granting bail to Panja and directed Calcutta police to produce him in court.

The bail of Panja, who had been arrested on a fraud charge on February 22 after he returned to Calcutta along with the chief minister from Dhaka, was cancelled after he failed to meet the condition of cooperating with the investigation and submitting to the court by today a compliance report endorsed by the probe agency.

The economic offence wing of Delhi police had issued a lookout notice on Panja in connection with a fraud case of 2014. As a director of RP Infosystem Ltd, Panja had allegedly procured a short-term assistance of Rs 18 crore from IFCI Factors, a government-run financial institution, by furnishing fake documents.

Rajarshi Mukherjee, the acting chief judicial magistrate who granted Panja bail last month, today refused to accept the submission made by Panja's lawyer seeking more time to comply with the conditions set by the court.

"My client has an infection in his eye and this is why he could not meet the conditions mentioned by the court in its order granting him bail. He needs 10 more days to comply with the court's order," Panja's lawyer Rajdeep Majumdar told the Barrackpore court.

Rejecting Majumdar's plea, the magistrate said the court would not give more time.

"We are yet to get the order passed by Barrackpore court. Once the written order reaches us, we will act accordingly," said a senior officer of Calcutta police.

Panja could not be reached for comment as his cellphone was switched off.

The lookout circular against Panja was issued on February 18 but immigration officials at Calcutta airport received it on February 20, a day after the chief minister went to Bangladesh.

A day after Panja was granted bail, two officers of Delhi police's economic offences wing arrived in Calcutta and petitioned Barasat court on March 4 for cancellation of the businessman's relief. The magistrate turned down the plea, saying there was no reason to believe that Panja had "misused the liberty" granted to him by the Barrackpore court.

Sources in the economic offences wing of Delhi police said they would speak to Calcutta police commissioner Surajit Kumar Purkayastha tomorrow and seek cooperation in arresting Panja.

"We will also send a copy of the court's order cancelling Panja's bail to the police commissioner and ask him to arrest him as soon as possible," a senior officer said.

After his arrest, the economic offences wing will seek Panja's transit remand and bring him to Delhi.

"We had sent him two notices on March 7 and 9 but he did not turn up," the officer added.

In case Calcutta police fails to arrest Panja, the economic offences wing would move a Delhi court for the issuance a non-bailable warrant against Panja.

If an accused cannot be traced after such a warrant is issued, the police can declare him a proclaimed offender and attach his property.

Follow us on:
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT