In yet another turn of events in the Narada scam in West Bengal, a case has been filed against the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for illegally arresting two ministers – Firhad Hakim, Subrata Mukherjee and TMC MLA Madan Mitra. The FIR against the CBI was registered under sections 166/166A/188/34 IPC & 51(b) DM Act at Gariahat Police Station which falls under Kolkata Police.
TMC leader Chandrima Bhattacharya had written to the Commissioner of Kolkata demanding necessary action against the CBI officers for arresting TMC leaders. “In the circumstances, I on behalf of my party would request you to immediately take necessary action under the law and do the needful against the CBI officers who had arrested the leaders at the behest of Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and the Governor of the State,” she wrote in her letter. She urged the Police Commissioner to treat her complaint as an FIR.
She alleged in the letter that when the whole state is fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic to save the lives of the people, it is surprising that the CBI has arrested three leaders of TMC. She claimed that Hakim has been playing an important role in controlling the pandemic in Kolkata. She also alleged that no arrest warrant was produced before the arrest of the aforesaid leaders.
She also accused the CBI and the Governor of acting at the behest of the central government.
“We are at a loss to understand how the Governor of a state can direct CBI to arrest someone when the law does not permit him to do so. Shamelessly the Governor of the state is acting as a mouthpiece of BJP and is functioning at the whims of PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He is biased and politically motivated. He has no constitutional power to direct CBI to arrest anyone. An elected state government has also not been consulted before such action,” she alleged.
Earlier today, the CBI made West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Law Minister Moloy Ghatak parties in a petition by the agency before the Calcutta High Court seeking transfer of the Narada sting tape case outside the state.
