KOLKATA : A two-judge bench of Calcutta High Court today ordered a CBI inquiry into allegations of bribery against senior state politicians and ministers unearthed in a purported sting operation run by Naradanews.com. Acting chief justice Nishita Mahtre and justice T Chakraborty asked the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry in 72 hours and then file an FIR if the probe warrants it. The bench handed over the probe to the central agency as a senior police officer was implicated in the scam.
The bench also observed the state police has been a puppet of the Trinamool-run government of the state.
In the second week of May 2014, a bench of justices T S Thakur and C Nagappan ordered CBI investigation into the operations of deposit-raising firms such as Saradha and Rose Valley.
In that verdict the bench pointed out the inability of the state agencies to trace the money and the probable involvement of several politicians and others “wielding considerable clout and influence”.
In the investigations that followed, prominent ministers and MPs of Trinamool Congress such as Madan Mitra (former transport and sports minister), Srinjoy Bose (Rajya Sabha MP), Rajat Majumdar (vice president) were arrested. The Mamata Banerjee government struck back at the CEO of the portal Mathew Samuel. Kolkata Police slapped criminal charges against him and summoned him for interrogation. But the court ruled that the police cannot take steps against him as the matter was being heard.
The sting operation conducted by the portal Naradanews.com was put out on public domain just about a fortnight ahead of the 2016 assembly elections in Bengal.?The video featured a dozen Trinamool leaders ? ministers, MPs, MLAs and even an IPS officer who was purportedly working on behalf of a Rajya Sabha MP ? accepting cash from the representative of a fictitious company. (AGENCIES)
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel