Second SC judge recuses from hearing Didi’s plea in Narada case

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 22

Justice Aniruddha Bose of the Supreme Court on Tuesday recused from hearing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s petition in Narada scam.

Banerjee and the state’s Law Minister Moloy Ghatak had moved the top court against the June 9 order of the Calcutta High Court refusing to take on record their affidavits with regard to the CBI’s transfer petition in the Narada scam case on account of delay.

Later, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana assigned the case to a Bench led by Justice Vineet Sharan which took it up in the post-lunch session and posted the two petitions for hearing on Friday as the judges needed to go through the files.

The new Bench urged the HC to defer the scheduled June 23 hearing by two more days.

Last week, Justice Indira Banerjee had recused from hearing petitions on post-poll violence in the state. Both the judges hail from West Bengal. The two TMC leaders have challenged the High Court’s order refusing them to file affidavits with regard to their alleged role on the day of arrest of their four party leaders on May 17 by the CBI, which alleged that the TMC leaders played a key role in stopping the CBI from performing its legal duty after arresting four leaders in the case.

The Calcutta High Court is hearing the CBI’s application for transfer of the Narada sting tape case from the special CBI court to the HC.

On June 9, a five-judge Bench of the Calcutta High Court had said it would decide later on considering the affidavits by Banerjee and Ghatak on their respective roles on the day of the arrest of four leaders in connection with the case.