Narada Case: Calcutta HC directs ED & CBI officials to appear before WB Assembly Speaker

In another update in the ongoing investigation of the Narada cases, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday had ordered CBI and ED officials to appear before the West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Bannerjee, in connection with the ongoing investigation of the Narada sting operation. The case will be next heard on October 8.

The order comes days after the Enforcement Directorate filed a writ petition in the Calcutta HC against summons issued by West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee in connection to the Narada case. The court has responded to the writ petition and has directed the CBI & ED officials investigating the matter to appear before the West Bengal Speaker and respond to the summons.

ED was earlier aggrieved by the order issued by WB Assembly Speaker Bannerjee and has claimed that this could have far-reaching consequences on the rule of law in the nation. ED had added, "The said summons have far-reaching consequences on the rule of law in the country and the independent functioning of the investigative agencies and their officers in the country".

Earlier, after the ruling issued by the Calcutta HC, a CBI team investigating the case appeared before the West Bengal Assembly Speaker on October 4.
 

Narada case investigation so far

In the investigation to date, the Enforcement Directorate, in its charge sheet in the Narada sting operation case, has charged two sitting West Bengal ministers, Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee. The charge sheet also named TMC MLA Madan Mitra and former Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee.

And by a 2017 High Court decision, the CBI had detained all four defendants on May 17 in connection with the Narada sting tape case probe. Later, the Special Court granted them bail but the High Court had issued an order remanding them in judicial custody. They were placed under house arrest on May 21 as a result of a modified order of stay on the bail issued by the High Court.

What is Narada sting case?

Mathew Samuel, a Narada news journalist, conducted a sting operation in 2014, in which people caught on tape receiving funds from representatives of a fake firm resembled TMC ministers, MPs, and MLAs. During the West Bengal assembly elections in 2016, this sting operation was made public. During that time, the detained politicians were functioning as ministers in Mamata Banerjee's cabinet.

With ANI Inputs

Image: PTI/ ANI/ Twitter