Narada scam: Kolkata Police converts TMC Minister's complaint against CBI into FIR

In an escalation of the tussle with the CBI, the Kolkata Police converted a complaint filed by TMC leader Chandrima Bhattacharya into an FIR on Wednesday. Bhattacharya, currently serving as a Minister of State (Independent charge) in the West Bengal government had lodged a complaint against the CBI at the Gariahat Police Station on May 17 for arresting Cabinet Ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee, and TMC MLA Madan Mitra. The FIR has been registered under Sections 34, 66, 166A, and 188 of the IPC and 51(b) of the Disaster Management Act.

The complaint sought action against CBI officers for arresting the aforesaid leaders at the "behest" of PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and WB Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar. Claiming that no arrest warrant was produced, Bhattacharya highlighted that permission was not obtained from Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee. Moreover, she questioned the central agency on why no action has been taken against BJP MLAs Mukul Roy and Suvendu Adhikari despite facing serious charges in the Narada case.

She asserted, "We are at a loss to understand how the Governor of a state can direct CBI to arrest someone when the law does not permit him to do so. Shamelessly, the Governor of the state is acting as a mouthpiece of BJP and is functioning at the whims of PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He is biased and politically motivated." 

Arrests in Narada case

Ahead of the 2016 Assembly polls, some TMC leaders were accused of accepting a substantial amount of illegal gratification from Samuel leading to the registration of an FIR under Section 120B of the IPC and Sections 7, 13 (2) r/w 13 (1) (a) and (d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. While CBI initially arrested IPS officer SMH Mirza, he is currently out on bail. On Monday morning, WB Ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee, TMC MLA Madan Mitra, and ex-legislator Sovan Chatterjee were taken into custody in connection with this case. 

This propelled a protest from CM Mamata Banerjee who demanded the unconditional release of these leaders and sat on a 6-hour long dharna with her supporters outside the CBI office for 6 hours. Moreover, Law Minister Moloy Ghatak was continuously present in the court of the Special CBI judge when the accused were produced virtually. Granting interim bail to the 4 leaders, the Special CBI court took into account the fact that the agency didn't ask for their custody and the SC's latest order on the decongesting of prisons. However, the Calcutta High Court stayed the order and sent them to judicial custody till May 19.