CBI books top Trinamool leaders in Narada case

Kolkata, April 17 (IANS) The CBI on Monday filed an FIR against 13 persons, including senior leaders of West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress, in the Narada sting footage case.

"The list of FIR includes all 12 persons who were purportedly seen receiving money in the Narada sting operation footage. Trinamool Congress MP Aparupa Poddar’s name is also included in the list of FIR," agency spokesperson Devpreet Singh told IANS.

Among those whose names figure in the FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation are Trinamool Vice President and Rajya Sabha member Mukul Roy, the party’s Lok Sabha members Sougata Roy, Sultan Ahmed, Kakali Ghosh Dastidar, state ministers Subrata Mukherjee, Firhad Hakim, city mayor and state minister Sovan Chatterjee and former minister Madan Mitra.

The Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI preliminary inquiry into the Narada sting footage case exactly a month back, on March 17, and asked the federal investigation agency to submit the report within 72 hours.

The Trinamool appealed to the Supreme Court on March 21, challenging the High Court’ order.

However, the apex court refused to interfere with the high court order, but extended the deadline for the preliminary probe to one month.

The controversy erupted in election-bound West Bengal in March last year when Narada News portal uploaded a series of video footage purportedly showing a number of high-profile Trinamool leaders, including former and present ministers, MPs and state lawmakers, receiving money in exchange of favours to a fictitious company.