Narada bribery case: Calcutta HC orders house arrest of four TMC leaders, case referred to larger bench
While under house arrest, the ministers will be able to work virtually, but will not be allowed to meet anyone personally.
FollowThe Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered the house arrest of the two Bengal ministers, one MLA and the former Kolkata Mayor who have been held in the Narada bribery case.
While under house arrest, the ministers will be able to work virtually, but will not be allowed to meet anyone personally.
The judges of the division bench -- presided by Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal -- differed in opinion over vacating a stay given by it on bail granted by a special CBI court to ministers Subrata Mukherjee and Firhad Hakim, TMC MLA Madan Mitra and former Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee.
“Justice Arijt Banerjee was is favour of granting interim bail while Justice Rajesh Bindal (Chief Justice Acting) wanted house arrest. Now, a larger bench will be constituted which will hear the matter,” Manishankar Chatterjee, the lawyer for Subrata Mukherjee, said.
“Meanwhile, the four accused will be under house arrest with all necessary medical assistance. They will be able to work virtually but cannot meet anyone,” Niladri Bhattacharya, the lawyer for Madan Mitra, said.
It also decided to refer the matter to a different bench owing to difference of opinion between Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Arijit Banerjee. The court's order is in tune with the recent judgment of the Supreme Court in the Gautam Navlakha case.
The sting operation was conducted by Mathew Samuel of Narada News, a web portal, in 2014 wherein some people resembling TMC ministers, MPs and MLAs were seen receiving money from representatives of a fictitious company in return of favours.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, has pleaded for a stay on the execution of the order.
The four leaders were arrested by the CBI on Monday morning in connection with its probe into the Narada sting tape case.
The High Court had on Monday night stayed the lower court's decision to grant bail to the four leaders.
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