Tribune News Service

Kolkata, May 21

The Calcutta High Court on Friday referred to a larger bench the matter related to bail granted by the lower court to four politicians, including two Bengal ministers, arrested by the CBI in connection with the Narada sting video case.

The court directed that the accused be put under house arrest instead of remaining in judicial custody.

The division Bench of acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Arijit Banerjee directed that the matter be heard by a larger bench since Justice Banerjee thought it was fit to grant interim bail to the four accused while Justice Bindal did not agree with the idea. The accused will be under house arrest as per the recent Supreme Court order in Gautam Navlakha case, the court said.

Subrata Mukherjee and Firhad Hakim, Cabinet ministers in the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal Government, Madan Mitra, ruling Trinamool Congress MLA, and former minister Sovan Chatterjee were arrested by the CBI on Monday. They have been in judicial custody since then.

Senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi represented the accused, while Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued the case for the central investigating agency.