Narada sting: Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee appears before CBI for interrogation

According to reports, after being summoned twice, TMC MLA from Behala Purba (East) VIdhan Sabha constituency, Sovan Chatterjee, reached CBI office at Nizam Palace in south Kolkata at around 10:50 am.

A CBI source told IBNS that Sovan Chatterjee is being quizzed currently and his close-aide, who was reportedly present when Mathew Samuel allegedly handed over 4 lakh rupees cash to the Mayor, has also been asked to appear before the Central probe agency asap.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned Sovan Chatterjee for hours in connection with the same case in last month.

Since Mar 14 last year, news portal- Narada News- released several sting operation footage, where TMC's leaders, ministers, MPs and MLAs were allegedly seen accepting bribes.

From the beginning, TMC leadership had claimed that the sting footage was doctored and a conspiracy of the opposition parties.

After getting direction from the Calcutta High Court and Supreme Court, the CBI has started a probe into the case.

On April 17, the investigation agency registered an FIR in connection with the case under several non-bailable sections against 12 influential leaders, cabinet ministers, MLAs and MPs of TMC and one senior IPS officer, who were seen allegedly taking bribes in the sting footage, reports said.

Besides CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), has registered a money laundering case in the Narada sting and currently investigating the case.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)