The police has been directed by the Division Bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj of Calcutta High Court to not arrest former Midnapur (west) superintendent of police, Bharati Ghosh’s husband, M A V Raju, without the leave of the court till 15 March.

The petitoner may be closely related to a former police officer, but the police is not entitled to examine the income of a private citizen, the court observed during the course of hearing of a matter in which Mr Raju has sought anticipatory bail in connection with a case of extortion in Daspur police station Midnapur(west) district.

The petitioner was directed by the division bench to cooperate with the investigating team. In course of such cooperation, he is to explain the source of funds which let him purchase plots of land, the documents of whose deals were recovered from his residences, it was further directed.

The court directed the petitioner to surrender his passport. He was further directed not to leave the area under the jurisdiction of Netajinagar police station except to coperate with the investigation agency.

The court directed the petitioner to meet the officer-in-charge of Netajinagar police station once a week.The matter will come up for next hearing on 12 March.

Earlier, appearing for the petitioner, Bhaskar Sen submitted it is not the fault on the part of his client to be married to Bharati Ghosh. Mr Raju works in stock exchange and is in no way connected with the extortion case registered in Daspur police station, it was submitted.

“My client’s house has been raided and everything taken away,” Mr Sen submitted. At this point, the court pointed out the petitioner’s name does not figure in the FIR and while no gold has been recovered in the raids from the petitioner’s home, number of land deal documents have been recovered.”

In all, there are 22 such land deal documents, advocate general, Kisor Data submitted. Has the petitioner been interrogated, the court asked.

After the advocate general replied in the negative, the court directed that the petitioner should be interrogated to let him explain whether he has had any nexus with the charge gold extortion registered in Daspur police station in Midnapur(west).

Though the petitioner’s name does not figure in the FIR, large number of land sale deeds, ornaments and huge amount of cash has been recovered from his residence which gives rise to the necessity for a probe requiring time to explain how these valuables came into his possession, the advocate general submitted.