Why go to Nizam’s Palace? CBI favors Mamata in Narad transfer case

#Kolkata: This time in the Narada Scam Case, the name of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was added. The Calcutta High Court is hearing two petitions on Wednesday. The first is the application for transfer of Narad case from this state to another state, the second is the application for bail of Firhad Hakim, Subrata Mukherjee, Madan Mitra and Sovan Chatterjee. In this context, the CBI sided with Mamata Banerjee in the first application, i.e. the application for relocation of the case. Similarly, the CBI has fielded state law minister Malay Ghatak and Trinamool MP and lawyer Kalyan Banerjee.

Incidentally, Mamata Banerjee reached the Nizam’s Palace at around 10.30 am on Monday morning, shortly after the CBI arrested Madan Mitra. “I also have to be arrested,” he told CBI officials there. He then stayed at the Nizam’s Palace for about six hours. “What the court decides is the last word,” he said as he left.

Firhad was later granted bail in the lower court. But almost immediately the CBI approached the High Court. There, the Central Investigation Agency (CIA) appealed to Mamata Banerjee to stay at the Nizam’s Palace, calling the Madan allies influential, and raising the issue of strong protests by grassroots activists. That appeal is being heard today. But before that, Mamata Banerjee, Malay Ghatak and Kalyan Banerjee were also sided in the case. Needless to say, the Narad case took a more ‘other’ turn.

The four accused in the Narada scam were granted bail by a special CBI court but the Calcutta High Court on Monday night stayed the order. The case will be heard on Wednesday when the lawyers of the arrested persons approached the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday, the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court said. Incidentally, Congress leader and lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared in the High Court on behalf of the three arrested Trinamool leaders and Shovon Chatterjee. He was accompanied by Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Siddharth Luthra will be questioning on behalf of the four heavyweights, while Solicitor General Tushar Mehta will be questioning on behalf of the CBI.