Kolkata: Hundreds of TMC supporters gathered outside the CBI office here Monday to protest against the arrest of two senior West Bengal ministers and others in connection with Narada sting operation case. The supporters of the ruling party, waving Trinamool Congress (TMC) flags, raised slogans against the CBI. They also criticised the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also at the CBI office here.
A large posse of CRPF personnel barricaded the central government office complex in Nizam Palace where the CBI office is located. Kolkata Police personnel were also present there in large numbers.
Earlier in the day, Bengal ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee, TMC legislator Madan Mitra and former minister Sovan Chatterjee were arrested by the central agency. They were taken into custody in connection with the Narada sting case. In the sting operation politicians were purportedly caught taking money on camera, officials said.
The action comes as the central probe agency is likely to file its charge sheet in the case, CBI officials said.
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Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar had recently granted sanction to prosecute all the four leaders. Then the CBI finalised its charge sheet and moved to arrest them.
Family members of the arrested leaders, including the daughter of Hakim, son of Mitra and Chatterjee’s wife also went to the CBI office.
The sting operation was purportedly conducted by Mathew Samuel of Narada TV news channel in 2014 wherein some people resembling TMC ministers, MPs and MLAs were allegedly seen receiving money from representatives of a fictitious company in lieu of favours.
The tapes were made public just before the 2016 assembly elections in West Bengal.
