The face-off between the Centre and the state in the wake of the election results deepened Monday with the CBI arresting two ministers in the West Bengal government and two other Trinamool Congress leaders in the five-year-old Narada sting operation case.
They were granted interim bail by the court of the Special CBI Judge (1) that was stayed by the Calcutta High Court which frowned on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s dharna at the CBI office earlier in the day.
Transport and Housing Minister Firhad Hakim; Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee; MLA and former minister Madan Mitra and former Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee were arrested by the CBI this morning. No sooner were they brought to the CBI office in Nizam Place than Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived and sat in a dharna for over six hours demanding the unconditional release of those arrested.
With over 2,000 Trinamool supporters protesting outside, and citing the law and order situation, the CBI produced the four accused virtually before the court of the CBI Special Judge (1). The court granted them interim bail.
Saying there was pressure on the agency with the CM herself protesting and the Law Minister sitting through the city court proceedings, the CBI approached the Calcutta High Court. Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta pleaded for the transfer of the trial outside the state alleging there was undue pressure on the agency.
In its order, the High Court bench of Chief Justice (Acting) Rajesh Bindal and Justice Arijit Banerjee stayed the bail and fixed the next hearing on Wednesday.
