ED probe may sting both TMC, Narada

KOLKATA: With Central Forensic Science Laboratory giving a clean chit to most of the video files shot by the Narada news as a part of its sting operation on senior Trinamool Congress functionaries, the Enforcement Directorate has now started an inquiry into the case.

Even though the central agency is waiting for the Kolkata Police to submit its first chargesheet on the case, it has opened a file to probe the money laundering and bribery angle.

ED is likely to investigate the hawala channel, if any, that funded the sting operation and the senior politicians, including the MPS and cabinet ministers, who were captured taking bribes.

The tapes had shown at least six MPs and two cabinet ministers accepting money. Interestingly, the tapes were released on March 14, barely three weeks before the assembly election in Bengal.

An investigation by an ethics committee of Parliament is pending. The case is pending with the Calcutta High Court too. However, in a stark contrast, the Kolkata Police has so far investigated the case based on a complaint lodged by Ratna Chatterjee, wife of Sovan Chatterjeee, Mayor of the city and minister for fire and emergency services.

The complaint was registered against Mathew Samuel, editor of Narada News, charging him with the sections of criminal conspiracy and defamation. As of now, the investigators examined Matthew Samuel more than once and centered its investigation around conspiracy theories.

Apart from Samuel, the sleuths summoned a TMC leader and a senior police official who featured in the sting-tape. “We have started a preliminary inquiry into the case. We need to check if money was laundered through hawala channels to fund the sting and if there are genuine evidences of accepting bribes. However, we are waiting for the chargesheet of Kolkata Police since they started a case. As of now, there is no mention of any money trail or bribery charges in the FIR,” said a senior official of the Directorate.

According to the report by the central forensic laboratory, 21 of the total 47 files could be opened and found genuine. These files include the footage of at least four MPs and two cabinet ministers accepting bribe.