[Narada Scam] "West Bengal Law Minister was not present in special CBI courtroom:" Senior Advocate Kalyan Bandhopadhyay tells Calcutta High Court

All India Trinamool Congress leader and Member of Parliament, Senior Advocate Kalyan Bandhopadhyay has filed an affidavit before the Calcutta High Court stating that West Bengal Law Minister Moloy Ghatak was not present in the court room of the special CBI court on May 17 when the bail plea of four TML leaders arrested in the Narada case was being heard. .In an affidavit filed late Thursday evening, Bandhopadhyay stated that the allegation regarding Law Minister's presence in court room is incorrect.."Allegations and submissions made before this court that Moloy Ghatak, Law Minister was present in the court room, are totally incorrect," Bandhopadhyay submitted..Bandhopadhyay also disputed the claim purportedly made by CBI in its email to the High Court on May 17 that a battery of lawyers led by Bandhopadhyay had forcefully entered the CBI premises when the 4 TMC leaders were arrested by CBI. He submitted that the allegation is totally incorrect and made to mislead and prejudice the High Court. "When we proceeded to the CBI office, the CBI officials asked me to disclose my identity. Whereinafter they requested us to make entries in the visitor's register, accordingly my junior made entries for self and on my behalf stating the purpose of visit," Bandhopadhyay submitted urging High Court to direct CBI to produce the visitor register before the court..Bandhopadhyay also questioned the propriety of listing the CBI's plea before a Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court instead of a single-judge, stating that in view of the Writ Rules governing the High Court "under no circumstance could a writ petition (other than PIL) have been mentioned before a Division Bench."."It is astonishing that every voice of dissent and right to legal representation in criminal case is sought to be smothered. It is an attempt to stifle any legal representation in a criminal case, where CBI is the investigating agency and the prosecutor. Such impleadment is itself subversive of Rule of Law," the affidavit said. .Narada Scam case hearing: LIVE UPDATES from Calcutta High Court.Bandhopadhyay also submitted that it "was not appropriate for the Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal to take up the matter while sitting in a division bench, more so, curtailing the right to prefer intra-court mandamus appeal under the Letters patent, 1862.".Bengali enough? Senior Advocate Kalyan Bandhopadhyay Solicitor General Tushar Mehta exchange words during Narada hearing in Calcutta High Court.A five-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court is currently hearing the transfer petition relating to arrest of four senior All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders in the Narada case. .Bandhopadhyay is appearing for accused Subrata Mukherjee in the matter besides appearing in-person as Respondent no. 8. The hearings before the High Court have witnessed exchange of words between Bandhopadhyay and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who is representing the CBI. .The CBI had moved the High Court seeking transfer of the proceedings before the special CBI to the High Court. This was on the ground that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC ministers laid a siege on CBI office at Nizam palace after the four leaders, Firhad Hakim, Subrata Mukherjee, Madan Mitra and Sovan Chatterjee were arrested by the CBI on May 17.The CBI also said that the State Law Minister along with TMC supporters also gathered at the Special CBI court which was hearing the bail plea of the four leaders though the hearing eventually took place over virtual platform. These actions by TMC ministers and supporters vitiated the proceedings before the special court, the CBI submitted seeking transfer of the matter to the High Court.