The Kolkata Police today turned down Narada News CEO Mathew Samuel's request to withdraw its summon in connection with the probe into the Narada sting operation owing to the matter being sub-judice and issued a fresh summon asking him to appear within seven days.
In a letter emailed to the Narada News CEO today by the Assistant Commissioner of the Detective Department of Kolkata Police, it was stated that Samuel's request "does not fit in the scheme of the investigations as envisaged in Chapter XII of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973."
"You are requested to take note of the fact that notice dated 23.06.2016 was issued in terms of the mandate of chapter XII of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 for the purpose of investigation as defined in section 2(h) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 by this investigating authority," the letter read.
In the letter, Samuel was asked to appear before the Kolkata Police "within seven days of the receipt of this notice" for the purpose of investigation into the case.
"Accordingly, you are once more requested to make yourself available before the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Economic Offence Wing, Detective Department at Lalbazar for the purpose of investigation of the said case within seven days of the receipt of this notice," it read.
Kolkata Police had issued a summon to Samuel on June 23 in connection with its probe into the sting operation conducted by the channel.
Four days later, Sameul had requested Kolkata Police to withdraw its summon saying the matter was sub-judice.
The controversial Narada sting operation, which surfaced ahead of the Assembly elections in the state, purportedly showed several Trinamool Congress leaders and an IPS officer accepting money for consideration.
An investigation into the Narada sting operation is
presently on by the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee, while a case is pending on the issue in the Calcutta High Court.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on June 17 ordered a probe by the Kolkata Police into the Narada sting operation and asserted that her party had not taken "a single penny" from anyone in the Saradha chit fund scam and the Narada sting operation.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) under Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar comprising senior officers of the Detective Department, Cyber Crime Cell and Economic Offence Wing, was formed to conduct the probe.
Samuel has been booked under IPC sections 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation), 500 (defamation), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), 171(G) (false statement in connection with an election) and 120(B) (criminal conspiracy).
