'CBI can't go against state'

KOLKATA: The defense counsel of Narada tape case on Thursday argued that CBI cannot go against State (based on law and order) and seek an order which affects the accused without hearing them.

Sidharth Luthra, defense counsel, submitted that there must be error, omission or failure of justice. The remedy for CBI was to seek quashing of bail order. "If what they did is permitted, then if an individual minister is accused, will they simply file plea against state and not make the minister a party and get an order against the minister," Luthra argued.

The five-judge Bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal, Justice I.P. Mukerji, Justice Harish Tandon, Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Arijit Banerjee, heard the plea moved by the CBI to transfer the Narada tape case in which two cabinet ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee along with Trinamool Congress MLA Madan Mitra and former Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee have been granted interim bail on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh and two sureties on May 28, 2021.