Calcutta HC orders CBI inquiry into Narada sting operation

Court asks agency to register FIR, start probe in cash-for-favour charges against TMC ministers

The Calcutta High Court today ordered a preliminary inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the Narada sting operation, in which several ministers and lawmakers of West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress were seen allegedly accepting cash for extending favours to a fictitious company.

A Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice T Chakraborti directed the CBI to take possession of all material and devises related to the string operation within 24 hours and to conclude the preliminary inquiry within another 72 hours. The court has also directed the CBI to register an FIR if required after completion of the preliminary inquiry and initiate formal investigation thereafter.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who made an appearance to announce certain other matters was asked about the verdict. Banerjee started by saying that it was the court's jurisdiction but added that the party would move the higher court.

"Everybody knows that this video footage was published from the office of the BJP before the assembly election in 2016. The state BJP president said recently that verdict in the Narada case will be announced after the UP election. How did he know?" she questioned.

She also said that donations before an election were allowed by the Election Commission. "This case is from 2014 (before the general election). EC allows donations before an election. The person giving money should also be implicated. The state police was investigating the matter, but the court did not allow. One lakh or two lakh is not important. People want to know, what is the source of crores of rupees that have been spent in the UP election," she said.

The video footage aired on television, however, showed, Mathew Samuel, editor of Narada News, making rounds of different politicians seeking help and extending cash for it.

The Division Bench has noted that a report by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Chandigarh, had said that the tapes were untampered.

Banerjee also said that at least three ministers in her cabinet featured in the video footage but they had won the elections. The Cabinet ministers are Sovan Chatterjee, Subrata Mukherjee, Subhendu Adhikari and Firhad Hakim.

The Chief Minister alluded that this was a result of her anti-demonetisation drive. Banerjee has become the face of the anti-demonetisation campaign; she led a rainbow delegation of Opposition party leaders to Rashtrapati Bhavan, held rallies in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

The Narada verdict was, however, the second major setback for Banerjee in recent months.

Late last year Trinamool MPs, Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Tapas Paul were arrested by the CBI in connection with the Rs 15,000 crore Rose Valley Scam.