Narada CEO grilled for over 5 hours

New Delhi: While Trinamul supremo and West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, is all set to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the honour of Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina’s visit,  the CBI on Thursday examined Narada CEO for more than five hours at the CBI headquarters here.

Sources said, “CEO of Narada channel Mathew Samuel was quizzed by the CBI for nearly five hours to gather information about the sting operation in which several TMC leaders were purportedly caught taking money”.

Sources said Mr Samuel is not an accused and the motive was to get information about the sting and circumstances in which it was done.

After coming out from questioning by the CBI, Mr Samuel told reporters that the team asked about the planning of the sting, circumstances in which money was purportedly given, and the location of exchange, among other details about the sting. He said he was allowed only one break during the five-hour-long interaction. The agency registered a preliminary enquiry (PE) in connection with the Narada sting tapes in which several TMC leaders were allegedly caught on camera taking money. The PE has been registered following the directions of a division bench of the Calcutta high court. The Narada sting tapes, which were released to different news organisations before the 2016 Assembly elections in West Bengal, showed people resembling senior TMC leaders receiving money allegedly for giving future favours.

The court had directed the CBI to take possession of all material and devices related to the sting operation within 24 hours and to conclude the preliminary enquiry within another 72 hours. The Supreme Court had extended the time given to the CBI for registration of the FIR in the case from 72 hours to one month.