Kolkata: After being summoned by the CBI thrice in the Narada sting operation case, state Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee today finally deposed before the agency officials.
The central investigating agency is probing the sting operations in which some 12 Trinamool Congress leaders have been accused of taking money from Narada news channel CEO Mathew Samuel. The 72-year-old Trinamool Congress veteran had been grilled by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on August 11 in the same case. The minister had then told reporters that he had taken Rs 3.5 lakh and not Rs 5 lakh as claimed by the Narada CEO.
Samuel too was questioned by the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation several times. The two agencies began probing the sting operation after the Supreme Court asked the CBI to unearth the truth in the graft case. Mr Mukherjee, accompanied by this two lawyers, arrived about 1045 hours at Nizam Palace here, the CBI headquarters in this region, responding to the summons. The agency had earlier summoned him thrice but the TMC leader wanted more time to appear before it because of his official pre-occupation.
The CBI had filed an FIR naming 12 TMC leaders, including ministers, MPs, MLAs and IPS officer SMH Mirza, after they were seen in the Narada sting operation footage receiving wads of notes. The sting operation was held in 2014 and came to light in 2016.
