AGARTALA, Nov 11 (TIWN): A district court in Tripura on Monday sent CPI-M leader and former minister Badal Choudhury to four-day police custody in an alleged corruption case, but lockup was fully prohibited for the ex-Minister.

“Mr Badal Choudhury should not be kept and interrogated in any police lock-up considering his health condition. Badal Chowdhury should be kept in a separate place/room (single occupancy) having air and light availability and where there shall be provided at least one bed with cot for his sleeping and taking rest with provision of drinking water and proper diet and also with provision of lavatory in any nearby area of the room so that he is not required to walk much,” the order by West Tripura District and Sessions Judge Sabyasachi Kar Purakayastha stated.

Also everyday Doctor According to defence lawyer Purosattam Roy Barman, West Tripura district and session court Special Judge Sabyasachi Datta sent Choudhary in police custody after completion of his three-day judicial custody.

"However, the court directed the investigating officer (IO) to arrange full health and security protection for the former minister.

"If the facilities for arranging full health facilities are not available in the police station, the IO can interrogate Choudhury in the central correctional centre (central jail)," Roy Barman told the media.

He said that the court also asked the police and jail authorities to provide all the facilities and services in jail as per Choudhury's official status.

The former minister also told the court that "he has been anticipating that he might be murdered as a conspiracy was hatched against him."

An eight-time MLA and former Lok Sabha member, Choudhury was in hospital with numerous ailments since he was arrested by the crime branch on October 21 in connection with the reported "PWD scam" that was under investigation.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist leaders including former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said that the BJP government had hatched a conspiracy against CPI-M central committee member Choudhury to malign the previous Left governments to obtain political mileage.

"No corruption had taken place during the 35-year rule (1978-1988 and 1993-2018) of Left parties in Tripura. Instead, huge development of various infrastructure and all other sectors had taken place in Tripura," Sarkar told the media.

CPI-M state secretary and the party''s central committee member Gautam Das said the party would fight the "political vendetta" both legally and politically.