Calcutta HC grants interim bail to four TMC leaders arrested by CBI in Narada case

The Calcutta High Court on Friday decided to grant interim bail to the four Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders arrested by the CBI in relation to the Narada case.

The five-judge Bench of Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justices IP Mukerji, Harish Tandon, Soumen Sen and Arijit Banerjee decided to grant interim bail while the other issues related to the matter remain pending, Bar & Bench reported.

Explaining its rationale for granting interim bail, the court said, "...our tentative opinion is that we will grant interim bail and then hear the matter. Because hearing of this case will take a week or so."

The grant of interim bail will be subject to personal bond of Rs. 2 lakh and two sureties. They have been ordered to give an undertaking that they will not speak to the media on the case and issues relating to case.

Opposing the grant of bail, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said that the leaders are influential enough to affect the probe into the case.

"It may have an adverse impact on the society. I would respectfully urge not to grant interim bail," he pleaded.

At this point, Justice IP Mukherjee said, "This probe started in 2017. They were not arrested then and probe was completed without arresting them. Why do you think they need to be arrested now and prevented from discharging their public duties?"

SG Mehta then said that if the leaders are granted bail, they should not be allowed to interact with the media.

The Court eventually decided to grant interim bail to the four leaders - Firhad Hakim, Subrata Mukherjee, Madan Mitra and Sovan Chatterjee - who were arrested by the CBI in connection with the Narada case on May 17.

Subsequent to their arrest, the four leaders were granted bail by a Special CBI Court. On that same day, the order granting bail was stayed by a Division Bench of the High Court after the CBI sought a transfer of the case citing a threat to the probe agency on the ground that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC ministers were sitting on dharna outside the agency's office at Nizam Palace.

On appeal against the stay order, the judges on the Division Bench disagreed on aspect of interim bail. This led to the constitution of the 5-judge Bench. In the meanwhile, the arrested leaders were placed under house arrest.

The CBI had then moved the Supreme Court on May 23 challenging the May 21 order passed by the Division Bench, which had directed that the four TMC leaders be placed under house arrest. However, the top court refused to entertain the same, prompting the CBI to withdraw the plea.

On the last date of hearing, the High Court said that it would first hear arguments on the application seeking recall of the Division Bench order of May 17.

The main matter will be heard by the HC on May 31.