KoPT chairman remanded to judicial custody till March 31

Chairman of the Kolkata Port Trust RPS Kahlon has been remanded in the judicial custody till March 31 when he was produced before the Bankshall Court on Thursday afternoon.

Kahlon was arrested on March 9 on charges of taking bribe from a director of Bharat Kolkata Containers Terminal Limited DD Jagtap Duttaji, who was also remanded in judicial custody till March 31.

On Thursday Kahlon’s counsel submitted before the court that his client is an IAS officer and there was not a single allegation against him in the past 36 years. He served in various departments and he used to work with pride. Thus it is a false allegation to defame Kahlon. He was arrested despite no FIR registered against him. There is a need to inform Central vigilance authorities before arresting an IAS. But the authorities were in dark about his arrest.

Pleading for bail of Kahlon, the counsel submitted that there was no evidence against him which proves that he had taken bribe.

Meanwhile, Duttaji’s counsel also pleaded for bail stating that he was unwell. The counsel also submitted that there was no evidence which shows that Duttaji was giving bribe to any person.

Objecting the bail plea for both Kahlon and Duttaji, the state’s counsel submitted that both of them are “influential” persons and the investigation may get affected if they get bail.

The investigation officers will be questioning some more persons in connection to the bribery case. Being influential, Kahlon and Duttaji may try to affect the probe by tampering evidences or by some other means. The state’s counsel had pleaded to send both of them to a full term judicial custody.

The court remanded both of them to judicial custody till March 31 and directed the correctional home authorities to take necessary steps for treatment of Duttaji. Kahlon was taken to the Presidency Correctional Home.

It may be recalled that police had recovered Rs 20 lakh when Kahlon and Duttaji were arrested from a five star hotel at Esplanade. The next day Rs 15 lakh more were recovered from Duttaji's room in the hotel and bungalow of Kahlon.