Narada scam case: All 4 Bengal ministers get bail

New Delhi, May 17: In a recent development, a special court granted interim bail to three ministers of Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government and a former Kolkata mayor who were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

On Monday, CBI detained the four Trinamool Congress ministers -- Firhad Hakim, Subrata Mukherjee, Madan Mitra -- and former Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee in connection with the 2014 Narada sting operation case and took them to Nizam Palace, the regional headquarters of the central probe agency in Kolkata.

They were virtually produced before the special court of Justice Anupam Mukherjee, who granted them bail on grounds that the CBI had not sought custody of the four accused for interrogation but prayer was for judicial custody which cannot be aground for detention of the arrested persons. The CBI had sought 14-day judicial custody for the accused ministers.

While granting interim bail the court relied upon the recent judgment of the Supreme Court which urged decongestion of prisons to avoid the spread of coronavirus cases. However, the court asked the four accused to furnish personal bail bonds of Rs 50,000 each.

The CBI said they move the Calcutta high court against the decision of the lower court.