Narada sting operation: Supreme Court extends time given to CBI

The Supreme Court on 21 March, 2017 extended time given to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for conducting preliminary inquiry in the Narada sting operation case.

The three judge bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Tirath Singh Khehar and comprising Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Sanjay Kishan Kaul said that the CBI investigation would go on against the accused persons in this case.

Kapil Sibal, one of the lawyer's for accused persons, pleaded to the top court for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or any other independent investigation but it was rejected by the apex court.

The CBI on 20 March, 2017 registered a preliminary inquiry into the case.

As per sources, the CBI also seized laptop and spy cam used by the Narada News in their sting operation.

The investigative agency also named West Bengal Chief Minsiter Mamata Banerjee, MPs, police officers and ex-MLA in its preliminary inquiry.

Earlier on March 17, the Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI probe into bribery allegations against top TMC parliamentarians and ministers.

Reacting to the court's order, Mamata said that she will appeal against the court order in a "higher judiciary".

Earlier in April, 2016, the court had formed a three-member committee to probe the controversial tapes.

Narada News, led by its editor-in-chief Matthew Samuel, had earlier released three sets of videos of its sting operation, where top TMC leaders were allegedly seen accepting bribes from journalists posing as businessmen.

The ruling party had dismissed the tapes as 'doctored' and said the 'dirty tricks departments' of its political opponents were behind the 'smear' campaign.

The sting operation video was released by the portal on 14 March, 2016 just ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections.

-ANI