'Declare events after arrest of Narada case accused as corrupt'

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the Narada case is being politicized. Mehta said Cabinet Ministers' protest following the arrest is shameful and demanded the High Court to declare everything that happened after the arrest as corrupt and distorted.

Kolkata:During the hearing of Narada case involving Trinamool Congress heavyweights,Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the case is being politicized. Mehta said Cabinet Ministers' protest following the arrest is shameful and demanded the High Court to declare everything that happened after the arrest as corrupt and distorted.

A five-judge division bench, including the acting Chief Justice, heard the case today. SG Mehta said, "The Central Bureau of Investigation is investigating as per the orders of the Calcutta High Court. But the Narada case is being politicized. The CBI has not only appealed for the rejection of bail of four accused. We want the Calcutta High Court to declare everything that has happened here after the arrest as corrupt and distorted. And if the bail of the four accused is denied for this, then let the court do it. "

He further added," It is doubtful whether what happened after the arrest has ever happened in the history of India or in the history of the world. Cabinet members are protesting. It is shameful. The CBI office was cordoned off with people in a planned and organized manner. Stones were pelted. Chief Minister and other ministers sat in a Dharna."

However, the hearing ended inconclusively. The next hearing of the case will be held in the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday.

All the four accused Trinamool Congress leaders and ministers Subrata Mukherjee and Firhad Hakim, party MLA Madan Mitra and former mayor Sovan Chatterjee who is an ex-TMC leader are currently under house arrest as per the high court's order.

The Narada sting operation was conducted by journalist Mathew Samuel of Narada News, a web portal, in 2014 wherein some people resembling TMC ministers, MPs and MLAs were seen receiving money from representatives of a fictitious company in lieu of favors.

At that time, the four arrested politicians were ministers in the Mamata Banerjee government. The sting operation was made public ahead of the 2016 assembly elections in West Bengal.