Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal of Calcutta High Court said on Monday that a five-judge bench would examine from Tuesday the affidavits filed by chief minister Mamata Banerjee and law minister Malay Ghatak in connection with the CBI’s allegations against them following the arrest of four politicians in the Narada case.
The five-judge bench headed by Justice Bindal has decided to examine the affidavits following a Supreme Court verdict to the effect. On June 9, the high court had refused to entertain the pleas by Mamata and Ghatak to examine the affidavits. The duo then approached the Supreme Court against the higher court’s decision.
On Friday, the Supreme Court asked the high court to hear the pleas to examine the affidavits before holding further proceedings on the CBI’s petition to transfer the Narada case to the high court itself.
The CBI had arrested four heavyweight leaders, including two Trinamul ministers and an MLA, in connection with the Narada case on May 17. The chief minister and a few other Trinamul leaders had rushed to the CBI office in the city following the arrests and left after the four leaders were granted bail by the CBI court. But late in the evening, the CBI moved the high court and charged Mamata with creating disruption at the Calcutta office of the central investigative agency.
The CBI had also accused the law minister of trying to influence the city's sessions court judge by attending the courtroom during hearing of the bail pleas of arrested leaders.
In their plea before the five-judge bench hearing the Narada case, the CBI had made the chief minister and the law minister respondents. But when both the ministers filed affidavits to clarify their stand in regard to CBI's allegations, the acting Chief Justice had declined to hear the ministers.
Both Mamata and Ghatak had moved the Supreme Court challenging the high court’s stand. Last week, the Supreme Court directed the five-judge bench of the high court to hear the chief minister and the law minister.
Lawyers appearing for Mamata and Ghatak on Monday informed the high court about the Supreme Court’s directive and sought immediate hearing of their pleas. To this, the acting Chief Justice said the pleas would be heard from Tuesday.