Calcutta High Court extends stay on Narada probe

The Calcutta High Court on Friday extended the interim stay on the West Bengal government ordered probe into the Narada sting operation in which several leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress were purportedly seen taking bribe.

The division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and A. Banerjee which put the probe on hold on August 5, extended it till August 26.

The matter will be heard on August 26 next.

Hearing multiple litigations seeking an independent probe in the matter, the bench had put on hold the probe contending that when it was looking into the matter, a parallel investigation cannot be held by the police.

Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee in June ordered a probe headed by the city police commissioner to find if there was a "conspiracy" behind the sting.

In pursuance of the probe, the police booked Mathew Samuel who conducted the sting on several charges and issued summons for his personal appearance.

The Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Chandigarh, which was directed by the court to examine the tapes has submitted its report but its contents have not been made public by the court.

However, the copies of the report have been provided to the counsel of the parties involved in the petition.

--IANS

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