The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday, 1 September, listed the names of two sitting West Bengal ministers Firhad Hakim, Subrata Mukherjee, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Madan Mitra as well as ex-Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee in its charge sheet in the Narada sting operation case, Hindustan Times reported.
Reacting to the development, TMC leader Madan Mitra, was quoted by ANI, on Thursday, 2 September, as saying:
"I’m very happy that my name is there (on the charge sheet). Otherwise, I would have been defamed. Suvendu Adhikari's name is not there in the charge sheet, because he is a BJP leader."
The charge sheet was submitted before a special court, which reportedly directed the leaders and other accused to appear before the court on 16 November.
In May this year, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had arrested Hakim, Mukherjee, Mitra, and Chatterjee in the case. However, days later, the Calcutta High Court granted interim bail to the four TMC leaders.
Besides the administrators, the court also took cognisance against suspended IPS officer SMH Mirza on Wednesday, Hindustan Times reported.
The Narada Case
In 2016, Editor and Managing Director of Narada News Mathew Samuel broadcast a sting video right before the West Bengal Assembly elections, in which several TMC leaders were allegedly seen taking bribes.
The CBI had lodged an FIR in April 2017, following a court order, naming 12 TMC leaders and an IPS officer.
Just days after the 2021 Assembly elections that saw Mamata Banerjee’s historic return for the third consecutive time as the chief minister, the four leaders were arrested by the CBI on 17 May.
After Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee protested the arrest outside the CBI office leading to ruckus by TMC workers, the party approached a lower court against the arrest, following which they were granted bail.
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