Narada case: Calcutta HC directs CBI, ED officials to appear before WB Assembly Speaker

Justice Rajasekhar Mantha of Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials to appear further before the West Bengal Speaker, in connection with the Narada sting operation case.

Justice Rajasekhar Mantha of Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials to appear further before the West Bengal Speaker, in connection with the Narada sting operation case. Earlier on October 4, ED had filed a writ petition in Calcutta High Court against summons issued by West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee.

The ED had named two sitting West Bengal ministers - Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee - in its chargesheet in the Narada sting operation case. The ED had also named TMC MLA Madan Mitra and former mayor of Kolkata Sovan Chatterjee in its chargesheet in the matter. The four were arrested on May 17 by the CBI which is investigating the Narada sting tape case on a 2017 order of the High Court.

On May 17 itself, the Special CBI court had granted them bail, however, the High Court had stayed the order, which remanded them to judicial custody. They were placed under house arrest on May 21 by the High Court, modifying its earlier order of stay on the bail. Journalist Mathew Samuel of Narada News, a web portal, had conducted a Narada sting operation in 2014 wherein some people resembling TMC ministers, MPs and MLAs were seen receiving money from representatives of a fictitious company in lieu of favors.

The four arrested politicians were ministers in the Mamata Banerjee government at that time. Ahead of the 2016 Assembly elections in West Bengal, the sting operation was made public. (ANI)

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