CBI works overtime for Narada probe

SOURCES SAID A SENIOR CONGRESS LEADERCUMLAWYER HAS AGREED TO REPRESENT THE GOVERNMENT IN THE APEX COURT

team of CBI officers on Sunday recorded the statements of several persons, including Naradanews.com CEO Mathew Samuel and those who had moved Calcutta high court seeking a CBI probe into the Narada sting episode. The agency is supposed submit before the high court on Tuesday.

While the statement of Congress leader Amitabha Chakraborty, who along with two other had filed the case in the high court, was recorded at the CBI office, Samuel was sent a set of 12 questions via email, to which he promptly replied. From Samuel’s residence in Delhi, CBI officers took in their possession the tools used for editing the footage.

On the other hand, the Trinamool leaders accused in the case and the state government officials were busy finalising lawyers to appeal in the Supreme Court against the HC verdict. The three persons who had filed public interest litigation in the HC seeking a CBI probe has already filed a caveat in the apex court to avoid the state’s appeal to be heard without the presence of the petitioners’ lawyers.

Sources in the state government claimed a senior Congress leader-cum-lawyer has agreed to represent the government in the apex court.On Friday, the Calcutta HC division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre and Tapabrata Chakraborty gave the CBI three days to examine the footage, documents, devices and other relevant materials and file a report and start an FIR if it is warranted.

Acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre wrote in the order, “I direct the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry without any delay and in execution thereof, to take custody of the devices and the reports, which are maintained by the special committee in a bank locker, within 24 hours.”

“Depending on the result of the inquiry, the CBI shall forthwith register an FIR, in respect of the alleged crimes and proceed to investigate the same,” justice Mhatre wrote.