Court orders CBI to probe Narada sting

Bengal CM points finger at BJP; Trinamool Congress set to challenge HC directive in top court

KOLKATA/NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee suffered a huge setback on Friday as the Calcutta high court ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into bribery allegations against top Trinamool Congress parliamentarians and ministers.

Acting chief justice Nishita Mhatre and justice T Chakraborty asked the CBI to complete a preliminary inquiry in 72 hours and file an FIR . The allegations were first unearthed in a purported sting operation by web portal naradanews.com last year.

“The respondents hold high position. State police are mere puppets. I direct the CBI to conduct inquiry without delay,” the bench said. “This is a case where the jurisdiction of high court must be exercised.”

The probe sets the stage for fresh confrontation between Banerjee – who emerged as the fulcrum of anti-BJP protests over demonetisation – and the Centre. This is the third big scam – after the Saradha and Rose Valley scandals – that involves top Trinamool leaders. The probe comes two years before the general elections and gives ample time for opposition parties in the state – the BJP, Congress or Left -- to gear up its machinery and leverage this issue against the Trinamool. Banerjee, for her part, went on the offensive and called the entire episode a conspiracy hatched by the BJP. At a press conference in Kolkata hours later, she said her party would approach the Supreme Court against the order. “The entire matter is a grand conspiracy. The footage was also released from the BJP office,” she said. But despite her belligerent tone, the probe might also alter equations in Parliament where the Trinamool is likely to be more supportive of the government’s legislative agenda.