Peeping through a sliver between a brick wall and an iron door, Partho De spoke to reporters on Tuesday, for the first time in five days since his admission to police that he was living with his sister's corpse for several months.

The 44-year-old has been in the male ward of Calcutta Pavlov Hospital, off CIT Road, since Thursday evening.

Spotting Partho in an open enclosure for patients at 9.25am, a little before their shower break, a group of reporters asked another inmate - through the gap between the wall and the door - to call him.

Partho, dressed in a loose striped uniform came near the gate but said he would only speak in the presence of representatives of Mother House, and moved away.

He was back at the gap within a minute. " Amar mone hoy apnarai amay banchate paren. Proshno korun (I think only you can save me. Ask me questions)," he said.

Metro reproduces the one-minute-43-second question-answer session with Partho De in Bengali and English.

How are you?

I have been kept here unlawfully without my consent. No one checked any of my documents. So I consider it is illegal to keep me here.

A voice from behind the gate can be heard saying, "Parthobabu doctors are calling you in", but he stays put.

Do you want to stay here or come out?

I am a free citizen. I want to go to the Mother House. I have committed no crime. As no crime has been shown to me that I have committed.... In fact there is a lot of property, which is there in my name. I want to go to Mother House immediately.

Did your father (Arabindo) know Debjani (Partho's sister) was dead?

Amake niye jachchhe akhon (They are taking me away). Someone is seen pulling Partho away from the gate. Turning towards the men inside, Partho says: "Amar medicine lagbe na. Amar kichhu hoyni (I don't need any medicine. Nothing has happened to me)." He then looks out through the gap and continues speaking to the reporters.

Yes. He (father) came to know about it on March 10 or around that time.

How did Debjani die?

She was fasting. She was extremely religious. She died while doing religious fasting.

Didn't you stop her when her health began to fail?

I felt bad. I used to feel very bad. But she was on a religious path. O prayer korchhilo aar uposh korchhilo (She was praying and fasting).

When did you tell your father about Debjani's death?

Instead of telling you piecemeal, if I tell you the entire story you will be able to understand the matter. If you can arrange for a session across the table I can tell you everything.

Two guards try to drag Partho away from the gate and ask reporters to clear off.

As he is pulled away, Partho says: " Ordhekta shune sabkichhu dharona korben na. Gate-er epare ashun, sab kichhu bolbo (Don't judge everything hearing half of it. Come over to this side of the gate, I will tell everything)."

One of the two men dragging him away says: "You tell us, we will listen to you."

Partho retorts with: Apnader amar pachhanda noy. Oder amar pachhanda, oder bolbo. (I don't like you all. I like them, I will tell them).

Half an hour later, the gap between the brick wall and the iron door is sealed with a bamboo shaft. And two guards are posted outside the gate.