KOLKATA: The arrangement of Partha Chatterjee's virtual presence in the upcoming hearing at the special court of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on August 31 has reportedly caused him distress. Chatterjee is currently being held by the court in the teacher's recruitment scam case.

Instead, he has told the jail authorities that he would be more comfortable with the traditional physical presence system at the time of hearing.

On August 23, the court granted a request from the Presidency Central Correctional Home administration, where Chatterjee is now being held, for his virtual attendance at the upcoming hearing on August 31. 

According to a separate petition lodged by the administrators of the Alipore Women's Correctional Home, the court also granted Arpita Mukherjee, Chatterjee's close assistant, permission to appear virtually. These petitions were made by both jail administrations, who cited security concerns.

Partha Chatterjee informed his counsel of the new arrangement after learning that the Presidency Central Correctional Home administration had requested his virtual presence without first notifying him. The attorneys told the media that Chatterjee also denied the security justifications advanced by the prison administration.

Following this development, questions were being raised in the political circles that whether the authorities of the two correctional homes purposely made the virtual presence appeals to the court with the motive of preventing Chatterjee and Mukherjee from interacting with the media persons at the court premises during their entry and exit. 

The coincidence between the timings of the prayer for virtual presence and recent indicative statements made by Chatterjee to the media persons on the days of the hearing have made such a suspicion stronger.

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