The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday asked whether the Kolkata Police could hold parallel investigation in a matter already being heard by the court.
The court was hearing a petition by Narada News CEO Mathew Samuels in which his lawyers drew the attention of the court saying the Kolkata Police had started investigations in the Narada case at a time when the matter was already being heard by the court.
The Judges immediately asked the Government lawyers as to whether it was proper to start parallel investigation in a case which was already being heard by the court. The Government will explain its decision on August 9, the next date of hearing.
Earlier senior advocate Arunabha Ghosh representing Samuels said “the police action is beyond their jurisdiction as they cannot start parallel investigation in a case which is subjudice. It is improper and so we drew the attention of the Court which asked as to why the Police were investigating the case when it was already being heard by it.”
The police had earlier issued summons to Mathew Samuels in the Narada video case which showed a host of senior Trinamool Congress leaders including Ministers and MPs accepting wads of cash from a journalist faking as a prospective investor in lieu of future promise.
MPs like Suvendu Adhikary (now a Minister), Sougato Roy, Sultan Ahmed, Kakoli Ghoshdastidar and Ministers like Subroto Mukherjee, Firhad Hakim and Kolkata Mayor Spovan Chatterjee were shown accepting money in the Narada News tape which was aired just before the Bengal Assembly elections causing a great deal of embarrassment for the Trinamool Congress.
The High Court is hearing a PIl demanding a CBI probe into the Narada video case. And the materials with which the film was shot had been sent to a central forensic laboratory at Chandigarh for examination.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee when she roared back to power did the first thing to order a probe into the Narada case alleging foreign money was involved in the case and her party was being maligned.
The police promptly picking the message initiated proceedings and issued summons to Samuels who then pleaded that he had already submitted in the High Court the laptop, I-Phone and other instrument with which the video was shot and hence his appearance before the police would be of no use.
The police then moved a lower court seeking a magisterial order asking him to appear at the earliest. Samuel’s lawyers immediately petitioned the High Court against the “police plans to arrest me.”
The Narada CEO who is currently out of India is likely to give a written application before the Court explaining his side when he returns, sources said.