WEB DESK /
The ED has registered a money laundering case in the Narada ‘sting’ where a number of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders, including MPs and ministers, were allegedly caught on camera taking money.
The agency, officials said, has registered the case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on a CBI FIR. It will probe the ‘proceeds of crime’ generated in this case and soon summonses would be issued to the accused for questioning, they said. The CBI’s criminal FIR had been registered against 13 TMC leaders.
A case of alleged criminal conspiracy and corruption against Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Roy, Lok Sabha MPs Sultan Ahmed, Saugata Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Aparupa Poddar, among others had been filed by the CBI. The case has been registered on the completion of a preliminary enquiry that was first conducted by the CBI. The preliminary enquiry was registered on the directions of a division bench of the Calcutta High Court, comprising acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice T. Chakraborti.
The Narada sting tapes, which were released to news organisations before the 2016 assembly elections in West Bengal, showed people resembling senior TMC leaders receiving money allegedly after promising favours. Alleging political vendetta, Mamata Banerjee-led TMC has said that the CBI is acting at the behest of the Modi government to target its leaders.