The Central Bureau of Investigation on Monday arrested West Bengal Ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee and Trinamool Congress MLA Madan Mitra in the Narada bribery case, PTI reported.
Former Trinamool Congress leader Sovan Chatterjee has also been arrested in the case, according to the news agency. He had quit Trinamool Congress in 2019 to join Bharatiya Janata Party, but left the saffron party too, in March. He did not contest the elections this year.
Hakim alleged that he was arrested in the case without prior notice, News18 reported. “I will challenge my arrest in court,” he added.
Shortly after the developments, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other Trinamool Congress leaders went to the CBI’s office, ANI reported.
West Bengal: TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee (in pics), Former Mayor Sovhan Chatterjee's wife Ratna, and MP Santanu Sen arrive at the CBI office.
— ANI (@ANI) May 17, 2021
Visuals from Nizam Palace pic.twitter.com/CptrSSEIjp
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Meanwhile, CBI officials said they will file the chargesheet on Monday against five accused, including the three Trinamool Congress leaders arrested earlier in the day, reported PTI.
The bribery case involves videos published by Narada News, in which several Trinamool Congress leaders were allegedly seen accepting cash in return for favours. The videos, shot by the website’s Chief Executive Mathew Samuel, were released ahead of the state Assembly elections in 2016.
Seven of the then Trinamool Congress MPs were also involved in the scam. Of them, Suvendu Adhikari and Mukul Roy are now with the BJP, while Sultan Ahmed has died. The CBI has sought to prosecute MPs Sougata Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Prasun Banerjee and Aparupa Poddar also but Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has not granted the permission yet.
A day before the new West Bengal cabinet’s swearing-in ceremony on May 10, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar had approved a CBI inquiry against Hakim, Mukherjee, Mitra and Chatterjee.
West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee, however, said that the governor’s approval as well as the arrests were illegal, reported PTI.
“I have not received any letter from the CBI nor has anybody sought permission from me as per the protocol,” the Speaker said.
Banerjee said that he does not know why the CBI officials went to Dhankhar seeking his sanction as the Speaker’s chair was not vacant at the time. “I was very much in office,” he said.
Following the arrests, Trinamool Congress supporters staged a protest outside the CBI office.
#WATCH | TMC supporters hold protest outside the CBI office over the arrest of its leaders. pic.twitter.com/0lBPK92zfA
— ANI (@ANI) May 17, 2021
