Narada sting operation: TMC MP Sougata Roy appears before ED

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress MP Sougata Roy on Tuesday appeared before Enforcement Directorate in connection with Narada sting operation case.

Roy is one of the 13 Trinamool MPs seen accepting money from Narada News CEO Mathew Samuel in a sting operation video.

Roy had earlier appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in September in connection with the same case.

The sting operation was conducted by Matthew Samuels, the CEO of Narada News. The tapes show Samuels, posing as a businessman, purportedly offering money to the TMC leaders.

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 CBI and the Enforcement Directorate have been probing the money trail in the Narada case.

On April 17, the CBI filed an FIR against a dozen senior Trinamool leaders, including former and current state ministers, MPs, and an MLA, besides an Indian Police Service officer.

The preliminary enquiry (PE) was registered following the directions of a division bench of the Calcutta High Court, comprising of acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice T Chakraborty.

Among others named in the First Information Report are former Trinamool leader Mukul Roy, Lok Sabha members Sougata Roy, Kakali Ghosh Dastidar, Aparupa Poddar, and Prasun Banerjee.

Also featuring in the list are state ministers Firhad Hakim, Suvendu Adhikari, city Mayor and state Minister Sovan Chatterjee, legislator Iqbal Ahmed, and former minister Madan Mitra apart from IPS officer SMH Mirza.

The accused have been charged with criminal conspiracy and under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.