No relief for ex-TMC MLA Nirmal Ghosh, Calcutta High Court denies interim protection in lottery ticket robbery case

The Calcutta High Court has refused to grant interim protection to former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Nirmal Ghosh, in connection with a case involving alleged robbery of a Rs 1 crore lottery ticket and misappropriation of prize money.

The court will hear the matter next on July 27.

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The MLA from Panihati had moved the High Court after his son Tirthankar Ghosh was arrested by the police in connection with post poll violence and robbery of lottery ticket.

Tirthankar, a defeated TMC candidate from Panihati, was arrested late on Sunday night from the Dakshineswar area during a police operation.

He is facing multiple serious charges, including being a prime accused in a case related to post-poll violence following the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections.

Police have also accused Tirthankar Ghosh and his associates of forcibly snatching a Rs 1 crore lottery ticket from a winner after allegedly assaulting and threatening the victim.

According to investigators, Tirthankar had been absconding since his electoral defeat. He was eventually traced through mobile tower location tracking and arrested in a covert operation.

Following his son’s arrest, Nirmal Ghosh moved the Calcutta High Court seeking protection against possible coercive action.

However, the court refused to grant any legal safeguard at this stage.

Apart from his legal troubles, Nirmal Ghosh is also facing political isolation.

Sources close to the development said that he recently attempted to switch political camps by attending a meeting associated with opposition leader Ritabrata Banerjee.

However, the move was publicly rejected, with Banerjee saying that Ghosh was an uninvited attendee, no meeting had taken place with him, and there had been no discussion regarding his induction into the party.