The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to grant bail to industrialist Ashok Todi accused of abetting the suicide of his son-in-law Rizwanur Rahman.
"We are not inclined to entertain the petition," said a bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan.
It also declined the submission of senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Todi, that the Calcutta high court be directed to decide his bail plea before winter vacation.
"We can't give such a direction," the Bench, also comprising Justice P Sathasivam, said adding that it can only ask the high court to dispose off Todi's petition expeditiously.
Salve informed the apex court that the matter has got delayed due to differences between the judges of the division bench of the high court on granting bail to Todi. The matter has been referred to the third judge, he said.
Rizwanur's mother Kishwar Jahan had opposed Todi's bail plea in the high court.
A division bench of high court comprising Justice Amit Talukdar and Justice P S Banerjee had differed on the issue, with the former being in favour of granting bail, while the latter was disinclined.
While Justice Talukdar held that there was no cause to apprehend that Todi would try to influence witnesses, Justice Banerjee had observed that with allegations of lakhs of rupees having changed hands for separating Rizwanur from Todi's daughter Priyanka, bail should not be granted.
The bail plea of Pradip Todi, brother of Ashok Todi, was was also rejected by chief Judge, city sessions court, Murari Mohan Ghosh.
Anil Sarogi, Ashok Todi's brother-in-law, who had surrendered in the CBI designated court of Madhumita Roy on December 8 as per a Supreme Court directive, was released.
The CBI court had extended the judicial custody of Ashok Todi, Pradip Todi and Mohammed Moiuddin alias Pappu, who had acted as a facilitator, till December 17.
Seven persons have been named in the case as accused, including three police officers, former deputy commissioner (detective department) Ajoy Kumar, former assistant commissioner anti-rowdy section, Sukanti Chakraborty and Krishnendu Das.
They have been charged with abetment of suicide, criminal intimidation and conspiracy.
Ashok Todi had earlier surrendered before the CBI court on December 1.
Rizwanur, according to CBI, committed suicide a month after his marriage to Priyanka. His body was found near railway tracks on September 21 last year.
