Kolkata: Citing health reasons, Iqbal Ahmed - Trinamool Congress MLA and Deputy Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) - failed to appear before the CBI in Narada sting operation case on Saturday.
Iqbal, in a letter to CBI, sought a seven-day extension on health grounds from the CBI. “The letter was sent by his lawyer and he is now supposed to meet CBI sleuths on June 17,” a source said.
Meanwhile, Mathew Samuel - founder Narada News – was also summoned by the Kolkata police for examination. On the same day, he is supposed to meet the CBI officers.
On June 6, the CBI summoned Iqbal Ahmed in Narada sting operation case. Iqbal, an MLA from Khanakul in Hooghly district, was allegedly seen accepting a bribe in the sting operation.
“He didn’t turn up for examination. We will soon decide the next course of action,” a CBI officer said.
CBI officials claimed that they have found some evidence and figures which they need to clarify from him.
The sting operation was conducted by Narada news in West Bengal to expose the corrupt practices of ministers in the Mamata Banerjee government. The sting was conducted under the supervision of its (Narada News) founder Mathew Samuel for a period of two years.
Ahead of the 2016 Assembly elections in West Bengal, Narada news released videos of sting operations, which sent ripples across the political fraternity in the country.
Videos showed 13 TMC ministers and leaders accepting bribes in return for favours/misusing official positions.
Narada sting operation caused a major embarrassment to the state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee because it came at a time when TMC was already under criticism from the opposition parties in Saradha chit-fund scam.
Mathew Samuel of Narada news formed a fictitious company and he approached several TMC ministers asking them for favours in return of money. Those who were seen in the Narada sting tapes are Firhad Hakim, Mukul Rai, Saugata Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Sultan Ahmed, Subrata Mukherjee, Subhendu Adhikari, Sovan Chatterjee, TMC MP Aparupa Poddar, Madan Mitra, Iqbal Ahmed, Prasun Banerjee and H.M.S. Mirza.
On March 17, 2017, Calcutta High Court ordered a preliminary probe to be conducted by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the sting operation case. The court also directed the CBI to register an FIR against those who were involved in the case, if required.
On April 17, CBI has filed charge sheet against 13 and others TMC leaders in the Narada sting case. All of them were booked under Section 120 B of IPC (criminal conspiracy), Section 13 (2), 13 (1D) and Section of 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act.
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