Narada Case: Liberty Of Accused Must Not Suffer Due To Chief Minister's Dharna, Says Supreme Court

Narada Case: The crucial hearing in the politically sensitive case began with vehement submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.

Observing that while it did not approve "dharna" by the Chief Minister and the Law Minister against the CBI arresting four West Bengal leaders in the Narada bribery case, the Supreme Court Tuesday said the accused and their personal liberty should not suffer either on account of such protests. Permitting the probe agency to withdraw its plea against the Calcutta High Court order allowing house arrest of the leaders, including three from the Trinamool, in the case, the bench however made clear that it has not made any observation on the merits of the case. "We will make it very clear that we do not appreciate the "dharnas". But, if the Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) or the Law Minister take the law into their hands, should the accused suffer because of it. You can proceed against those persons who have taken law into their hands", a vacation bench of justices Vineet Saran and B R Gavai said. "Liberty of a person is the first thing to be seen" and it cannot be mixed with other issues such as Chief Minister's dharna and public protests against arrests by CBI, the top court said and the response of the bench made CBI decide to withdraw the appeal.