The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on June 22 appeals filed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Law Minister Moloy Ghatak against the Calcutta High Court’s refusal to immediately consider their affidavits countering allegations about their role on the day of arrest of four TMC leaders by the CBI in the Narada sting tape case.
A Vacation Bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and V. Ramasubramanian requested the High Court to defer its scheduled hearing of the Narada case on June 21. Vacation Benches in the Supreme Court assemble on Tuesdays and Fridays. The apex court urged the High Court to hold over the hearing to June 23.
Senior advocates Rakesh Dwivedi and Vikas Singh, for the Law Minister and the State government, said the affidavits were “essential” to the case. It provides the truth on the events of May 17, the day of the arrest.
“The affidavits are very important in the case… If the Supreme Court hearing is kept on Tuesday, the High Court hearing should be deferred,” the senior advocate submitted.
“We will keep the hearing on Tuesday. Meantime, we hope the High Court will defer the hearing fixed on Monday to Wednesday,” the Bench noted.
A five-judge Bench of the Calcutta High Court is hearing the Narada case. On June 9, the court said it would consider the affidavits later on.
Mr. Dwivedi countered CBI’s claims that Mr. Ghatak was present in the courtroom with a mob when the four TMC leaders were produced after their arrest. The senior advocate said the Minister was in an official meeting at the time. Even the CBI officials were not present at the spot as the hearing was held virtually.
“You may not be partly correct. It was stated that he (law minister) was in court,” the Bench voiced its scepticism.
“The CBI is an agency which aims to find the truth. They were themselves in the CBI office and had addressed the court virtually. They do not know as to what happened in the court. The Law Minister is yet to address the court on this point… Hence the affidavits are important,” Mr. Dwivedi said.
