Kolkata: The controversy over the Narada tape intensified on Monday after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached the CBI office and detained two ministers of her government, Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee.
What is Narada scandal?
The case is related to the sting operation of Narada News Portal, in which several ministers and senior officials of West Bengal were shown taking bribes. The sting operatives approached the ministers as representatives of a fake firm and offered bribes in return for favors.
The sting operation was carried out in two years and was to be published in Tehelka magazine. However, Matthew Samuel, who carried out the sting operation, quit Tehelka and launched the Narada portal.
Which leaders were involved in the Narada incident?
The Narada footage featured Trinamool leaders Subrata Mukherjee, late Sultan Ahmed, Aparupa Poddar, Saugat Ray, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Prasoon Banerjee, Madan Mitra, Firhad Hakim and Iqbal Ahmed. At that time, BJP leaders Mukul Roy and Suvendu Adhikari also appeared in the footage along with the Trinamool. So is former Kolkata Mayor Sowan Chatterjee, who left the Trinamool even before he joined the BJP. IPS officer MH Ahmed Mirza was also in this sting.
How did the investigation proceed?
After the footage surfaced, the state government filed a case against Samuel on charges of forgery and defamation. The High Court stayed the investigation. In 2017, the High Court ordered a preliminary inquiry by the CBI.
On April 16, 2017, the CBI registered an FIR against 12 Trinamool leaders on charges of criminal conspiracy and corruption.
What was the effect when the footage was released?
The footage was released just before the 2016 assembly elections and put the ruling Trinamool Congress on the backfoot. The sting operation showed footage of several state ministers and Trinamool leaders. Earlier, during the Saradha chit fund scam, several Trinamool leaders had come to the fore and the sting operation gave the opposition more ammunition to target the ruling party on the issue of corruption. Despite the uproar, the Trinamool returned to power in the state elections.
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