West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim stated he was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday, however the premier company maintained he was taken to its workplace for questioning in a corruption case.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders Subrata Mukherjee and Madan Mitra, and former Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee, too, have been delivered to CBI’s Nizam Palace workplace in reference to the case that’s over 5 years outdated.
Around 8am, a workforce of CBI officers reached Hakim’s home in South Kolkata’s Chetla. After 20 minutes of questioning, he was taken to Nizam Palace for investigation into the Narada sting operation that despatched ripples throughout the political circles in 2016. Hakim denies any wrongdoing.
A big contingent of central forces was deployed in entrance of Hakim’s home, the place TMC supporters shouted slogans towards CBI and accused the company of working underneath the command of the Centre’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“I was arrested by CBI in connection with the Narada sting operation case. I was arrested without any prior notice. I will challenge my arrest in court,” Hakim, West Bengal’s city improvement and municipal affairs minister, stated.
The sting operation was performed by Narada information founder Mathew Samuel for over two years in West Bengal. Ahead of the 2016 meeting elections, Narada information launched movies exhibiting 13 TMC ministers and leaders accepting bribes in return of favours, or misusing official positions.
The improvement prompted a significant embarrassment for chief minister Mamata Banerjee, because it got here at a time when the CM and her get together have been already underneath criticism for the Saradha chit fund rip-off.
As a part of the operation, Samuel fashioned a fictitious firm and approached a number of TMC ministers, asking them for favours in return for cash.
Those who have been seen in the Narada sting tapes are: Firhad Hakim, Mukul Roy (now with the BJP), Saugata Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Sultan Ahmed, Subrata Mukherjee, Suvendu Adhikari (now with the BJP), Sovan Chatterjee (who joined the BJP after which stop), Aparupa Poddar, Madan Mitra, Iqbal Ahmed, Prasun Banerjee and HMS Mirza.
On March 17, 2017, the Calcutta excessive court docket ordered {that a} preliminary probe shall be performed by CBI. The court docket additionally directed CBI to register an FIR (first info report) towards those that have been concerned in the case, if required.
On April 17, CBI filed cost sheet towards the 13 leaders and different TMC functionaries. All of them have been booked underneath Section 120 B of IPC (felony conspiracy), Section 13 (2), 13 (1D) and Section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act.
A number of days in the past, West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankar accorded prosecution sanction to CBI towards Hakim, Mitra and Mukherjee.
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