Narada sting probe: CBI, ED get High Court relief from West Bengal Speaker`s summons

Kolkata: In a major relief to the CBI and ED investigating the Narada sting case, Calcutta High Court on Thursday (October 7) said that the officials need not appear before the West Bengal Speaker Biman Banerjee, who has time and again summoned them.

Justice Rajasekhar Mantha of the High Court directed that CBI and ED officials need not appear further before the West Bengal speaker in connection with the Narada sting operation case. The court set the next date of hearing on October 8.

Earlier this week, ED had Monday filed a writ petition in Calcutta High Court against summons issued by West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee. The agency complained that the Speaker was interfering with the investigation into the case.

“The petitioner is aggrieved by the arbitrary, unlawful and without the authority of law summons issued by the respondents herein, thereby interfering in the independent and impartial working of the investigative officers of the Enforcement Directorate," read the plea filed by ED.

“The said summons have far-reaching consequences on the rule of law in the country and the independent functioning of the investigative agencies and their officers in the country,” it added.

On Monday, a CBI team probing the Narada case had to appear before the Speaker.

The speaker had summoned both ED and CBI as the actions were taken against elected representatives without informing him.

ED has filed a chargesheet against two sitting state ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee and two other TMC leaders, MLA Madan Mitra and former mayor of Kolkata Sovan Chatterjee, in Narada sting case.