Kolkata: In a significant setback to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Calcutta High Court on Friday granted interim bail to 4 West Bengal leaders who have been arrested on May 17 by the investigative company in reference to the Narada bribery case.
A five-member bench of the Calcutta High Court granted bail to TMC leaders Firhad Hakim, Madan Mitra and Subrata Mukherjee, and Sovan Chatterjee, who had crossed over to the BJP however stop the occasion earlier than elections.
All 4 have been beneath home arrest since May 19 following the courtroom’s order as a result of the matter was referred to the bigger bench.
The bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal, Justices IP Mukerji, Soumen Sen, Harish Tandon, and Arijit Mukherjee handed the order after legal professionals of the arrested leaders urged the bench to recall the May 17 order of the Division Bench which had stayed the bail granted to them by the Special Court.
While passing the order, the courtroom requested them to submit a private bond of Rs 2 lakh every with two sureties. They have been requested to hitch the investigation by means of video conferencing.
The bench additionally requested all 4 of them to not make any feedback or statements earlier than the media. It was additionally categorised that Friday’s interim bail order can be topic to the ultimate order and can stand cancelled if the CBI succeeds in its plea.
On May 17, excessive drama unfolded exterior Hakim’s residence in south Kolkata’s Chetla round 8 am when a workforce of CBI officers reached there in the course of protests by TMC supporters. After 20 minutes of questioning, he was taken to Nizam Palace.
The different three — Subrata Mukherjee, Madan Mitra and Sovan Chatterjee – had personally appeared earlier than the CBI officers at Nizam Palace after being summoned by the probe company.
Soon after, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and different senior occasion leaders, MLAs and MPs rushed to Nizam Palace and accused the CBI for engaged on the instruction of the BJP.
Mamata Banerjee had termed the arrests unlawful and requested investigators to arrest her as effectively. The chief minister left the CBI workplace late afternoon.
A couple of days in the past, West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has accorded prosecution sanction to the CBI towards Hakim, Mitra, and Mukherjee within the 2016 Narada sting operation case.
Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee stated the arrest was unlawful, as CBI didn’t take his permission. The CBI stated a case was registered in April 2017 after “public servants were caught on camera while receiving illegal gratification”.
The ‘controversial’ sting on the centre of the controversy was performed by Narada information founder Mathew Samuel for over two years. Ahead of the 2016 meeting elections, Narada information launched movies displaying 13 TMC ministers and leaders accepting bribes in return of favours.
As a part of the sting operation, Samuel fashioned a fictitious firm and approached a number of TMC ministers, asking them for favours in return for cash.
Those seen within the sting tapes have been: Firhad Hakim, Mukul Roy (now with the BJP), Saugata Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Sultan Ahmed, Subrata Mukherjee, Suvendu Adhikari (now with the BJP), Sovan Chatterjee (who joined the BJP after which stop), Aparupa Poddar, Madan Mitra, Iqbal Ahmed, Prasun Banerjee and HMS Mirza.
On March 17, 2017, the Calcutta High Court ordered {that a} preliminary probe can be performed by CBI. The courtroom additionally directed CBI to register an FIR towards others concerned within the case, if required.
On April 17, 2017, the CBI filed a cost sheet towards the 13 leaders and different TMC functionaries. All of them have been booked beneath Section 120 B of the Indian Penal Code (felony conspiracy), Section 13 (2), 13 (1D) and Section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act.
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