Narada case: Two West Bengal ministers, former Kolkata mayor surrender before special court, get bail

A special court on Tuesday granted bail to West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim, TMC MLA Madan Mitra and former city mayor Sovan Chatterjee after they surrendered before it, responding to summonses sent to them in connection with a complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate in Narada sting tapes case.

The court granted bail to the three accused on a bond of Rs 20,000 each and two sureties of Rs 10,000 each. It directed that they must appear before the investigating officer as and when called, and not leave the country without prior permission of this court.

One of accused in the case, Subrata Mukherjee, died on November 4.


Praying for bail before the special CBI court judge S H Khan, lawyers for Hakim, Mitra and Chatterjee submitted that the investigation into the money laundering aspect of the Narada sting tapes case is over and they, as permanent residents of Kolkata, have no chance of absconding.

The lawyers pleaded that they be released on bail on any condition put by the court. ED counsels Abhijit Bhadra and B P Banerjee opposed the prayers, submitting that the offence is of serious nature.

Hearing both the parties, the court granted bail to the three accused persons, observing that there is no necessity to detain them in judicial custody.

The judge also granted bail extension to suspended IPS officer SMH Mirza, another accused in the case, till the next date of hearing.

Mirza, who was earlier given bail, did not appear before the court on Tuesday, citing health issues. The court fixed the matter for further hearing on January 28.

The special court had on September 1 ordered issuance of summonses to West Bengal ministers Mukherjee, Hakim and the other three, taking cognizance of a complaint by the ED under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, in connection with the Narada sting tapes case.

The special CBI judge had ordered that the accused appear before him on November 16.