Mamata Banerjee files fresh Affidavit before Calcutta High Court in Narada Scam case

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In terms of the Supreme Court order of June 25, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has filed a fresh affidavit before the Calcutta High Court in the Narada Scam case. 

On June 9, High Court had refused to accept the affidavit by the State, saying that, "“if the Petitioner wanted to file its response, time should have been sought at the time of issuing notice and not when the arguments are at an advances stage, more so when the Petitioner was a party, which only had to respond to certain factual assertions made in the pleadings by the CBI, in utter disregard to the Principles of natural justice and de hors the applicable rules of the High Court for completion of pleadings”. 

It is pertinent to note that TMC MLA Ashok Kumar Deb had earlier written to the CJI, NV Ramana seeking removal of Justice Rajesh Bindal as Acting CJ of the Calcutta High Court on account of the five judge bench led by him not taking the affidavits of Banerjee on record.

On June 25, Supreme Court bench of Justice Vineet Saran and Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, while setting aside the aforementioned order, observed,

"We are of the opinion that the respondents ought to have given an application to take respective counter affidavits on record specially when the arguments of the parties were going on and have progressed substantially.

We direct that the petitioners may file their respective applications in support to bring their counter affidavits filed on June 7 and June 9 on record by Monday June 28, after serving advance copies on counsel for the CBI and other necessary parties, on or before June 27. The CBI and other parties, if they so desire, may file a reply to the application therein by June 29.

We request the High Court to first decide the applications of the petitioners herein, before proceeding to decide the merits of the case."

Appearances were made by Learned Solicitor General, Mr. Mehta for the CBI;

Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi for the Law Minister and the State CM;

Senior Advocate Vikas Singh for the State of West Bengal.

The Supreme Court on June 18 agreed to hear the plea by West Bengal Government and State Law Minister Moloy Ghatak against the Calcutta High Court’s refusal to place on record affidavits filed by them in the Narada Scam case.