Decide afresh pleas of Bengal CM, Law Minister, High Court told

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 25

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Calcutta High Court to decide afresh the petitions of West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and state’s Law Minister Moloy Ghatak seeking to file affidavits in the Narada scam case.

Acting on their petitions, a Bench headed by Justice Vineet Saran annulled the June 9 HC order refusing to take on record their affidavits on account of delay.

Five-judge Bench to hear case

A five-judge Calcutta HC Bench will hear Mamata Banerjee, Moloy Ghatak and the state government to decide afresh whether to take their affidavits on record. Thereafter, it will adjudicate on the CBI’s plea for transfer of the case.

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Now, a five-judge Calcutta HC Bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal will hear Banerjee, Ghatak and the state government to decide afresh whether to take their affidavits on record. Thereafter, it will adjudicate on the CBI’s plea for transfer of the case.

The HC’s order led to denial of filing of affidavits by Banerjee and Ghatak on their role on the day of arrest of four Trinamool Congress leaders on May 17 by the CBI in the Narada scam case, they had alleged before the top court. The CBI alleged that the TMC leaders played a key role in stopping the CBI from performing its legal duty after arresting four leaders in the case.

West Bengal ministers Subrata Mukherjee and Firhad Hakim, TMC MLA Madan Mitra and former mayor of Kolkata Sovan Chatterjee were arrested by the CBI which is investigating the Narada case on a 2017 order of the High Court. The HC had granted them interim bail on May 28.