KOLKATA: Citing inconsistencies in CBI's affidavits, defense counsel Sidharth Luthra—who is appearing for one of the four arrested leaders in Narada case—argued in the Calcutta High Court (HC) that the central investigating agency had played a fraud on the court. He made this statement during the hearing in the case at HC on Thursday.
"In one (CBI) affidavit it is said that a charge sheet was filed before bail was decided. In another affidavit, it is said that they were not able to file the charge sheet. How is this possible? Only one can be true," Luthra submitted.
The defense counsel pointed out that the case was a mockery of law of the highest order. "Sanction for arresting public officials has to be obtained contemporaneously or before arrest. But in this case, it was obtained after arrest. They were sitting outside the Governor's office at 1 pm," the counsel claimed.
One of the accused leaders was picked up from his house at 8.10 am without any grounds but in its affidavit CBI had mentioned time of arrest as 8.45 because that was when the arrest memo was executed at Nizam Palace (CBI office in Kolkata).
The Bench asked Luthra whether he could show facts regarding exertion of pressure or reasonable apprehension? Luthra took the Bench through CBI's letter and attachments sent to the Court on May 17. He read out that at 2.34 pm CBI had sent an email to the HC Registrar titled 'Mob Attack at Nizam Palace'.
That was first sent to the Governor and certain lawyers at 1.56 pm. Luthra emphasised that Mobocracy, pressure, threat and violence were CBI's four favourite words. The case will be heard again on Tuesday (June 15).