Judge miffed over Firhad and Madan arriving late in court, says 'Have you became VIPs'

Two Trinamool leaders, Firhad Hakim, and Madan Mitra were summoned to appear before a special ED court in Kolkata on Tuesday in connection with the Narada case but arrived late. As a result, the judge, Subhendu Saha, reprimanded them for their tardiness and made a threatening comment, asking if they believed themselves to be VIPs and warning them that he knew how to enforce punctuality.

The judge said in a threatening tone, “Have you become VIPs? Do I have to sit for you?" He added, "If you don't make it on time, I know how to pick you up." Madan Mitra explained that he was delayed due to a traffic jam near SSKM Hospital during his commute and apologized for his tardiness, while Firhad Hakim did not provide any explanation for his lateness.

This court hearing related to the Narada sting case, in which several TMC leaders were allegedly filmed accepting bribes on camera. The case has been investigated by central agencies, despite the TMC leaders denying the allegations.

Following the 2021 assembly elections, Firhad Hakim, Subrata Mukhopadhyay, Madan Mitra, and Shobhan Chatterjee were arrested by the CBI in connection with the case. Shobhan Chatterjee also appeared in court on Tuesday, arriving earlier than Hakim and Mitra.