Narada case: HC stays bail granted to 4 TMC leaders

In a swift development the Calcutta High Court on Monday stayed the interim bail granted to four West Bengal leaders arrested by the CBI in Narada case. The special CBI court had granted bail to three Trinamool Congress leaders - Subrata Mukherjee, Firhad Hakim and Madan Mitra and former Mayor Sovan Chatterjee. Within a few hours, the High Court stayed the lower court order and directed that the accused persons shall be treated to be in judicial custody. The high court fixed the date of next hearing on 19th May. All four accused have been sent to Presidency Jail. All four leaders were the then ministers of TMC when the Narada sting operation was conducted. They were caught on camera accepting money during the sting operation done by Mathew Samuel of Narada News.

A special CBI court in Kolkata on Monday granted bail to all four accused arrested earlier in the day in connection with the Narada sting case. West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee dubbed the arrests as illegal, contending that the CBI move on the basis of the governor’s sanction was unlawful. “I have not received any letter from the CBI nor has anybody sought any permission from me as per the protocol,” he said.

Earlier, CBI arrested two ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee along with MLA Madan Mitra. Sovan Chatterjee, former Mayor of Kolkata has also been arrested by the central agency. All were accused of taking bribe during the Narada sting operation. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar recently permitted the CBI to prosecute the top leaders of Trinamool Congress. Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said "The way they have been arrested without due procedure, CBI will have to arrest me also," the Bengal Chief Minister reportedly said during her more than six-hour stake-out at the CBI office in Nizam Palace.

A huge crowd of Trinamool workers protested outside the building as the ministers were arrested and tried to break barricades. They also threw stones at paramilitary personnel, who used batons to try and remove them. All four were ministers in the previous Mamata Banerjee government when the Narada bribery tapes were shot in 2014. Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee, appealed for calm and to abide by the law and refrain from any activity that violates lockdown norms for the sake of the larger interest of Bengal and its people.  We have utmost faith in the judiciary and the battle will be fought legally. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar alleged "total lawlessness and anarchy" and warned of "repercussions".

Concerned at alarming situation. Call upon @MamataOfficial to follow constitutional norms & rule of law.

Police @WBPolice @KolkataPolice @HomeBengal must take all steps to maintain law & order.

Sad- situation is being allowed to drift with no tangible action by authorities.

— Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) May 17, 2021