Calcutta HC grants interim bail to 4 arrested in Narada case

KOLKATA: In a significant development in the Narada sting operation case, a freshly constituted five-judge Division Bench granted interim bail to the four arrested Trinamool leaders -- Firhad Hakim, Subrata Mukherjee, Madan Mitra and Sovon Chatterjee, on Friday.

The bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal, and Justices Arijit Banerjee, I.P. Mukherjee, Harish Tandon and Soumen Sen asked the two state cabinet ministers, an MLA and a former Kolkata Mayor to submit personal bond of Rs 2 lakh each with two sureties. The court also said that the accused cannot tamper or influence evidence and will have to join the investigation by video conferencing. The arrested were asked not to give press interviews on pending trials in the Narada case, the HC bench said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, opposed the grant of interim bail saying that the accused are influential enough to affect the pending trial. Mehta also said that the accused have the potential to gather a mob by arousing public emotions, which can derail the investigation or the trial.

At this juncture, the bench asked the Solicitor General if it was necessary to keep the arrested leaders -- Cabinet Ministers Hakim and Mukherjee, MLA Mitra and the former Mayor -- in custody when they were not arrested during the investigation for over 4 years.

"We want to make one observation. The investigation started in 2017. They were not arrested during the investigation. Normally, arrest is to facilitate investigation. They continue to be as powerful as earlier. Why arrest now?" Justice IP Mukerji, the second senior judge of the bench, asked.

Justice Mukerji asked the Solicitor General why the TMC leaders, who have not been arrested during the investigation for over 4 years, should be kept in house-arrest now, when they are required to do carry out their duties during pandemic. (IANS)

Also Read: Narada Sting Case Hearing to Continue in Calcutta High Court Today

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