Narada sting case: Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of masterminding the episode.
The investigation into the
Narada sting operation case -- in which several leaders of Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress were allegedly caught on camera taking money by a local news channel -- will continue, the Supreme Court has said. The court today refused to put a stop to the investigation, turning down a petition by a group of Trinamool leaders.
Upset with the appeal -- which said the High Court had transgressed "all constitutional limits" -- the Supreme Court said the plea was "unfortunate" and deserved "outright rejection". It also asked the government's advocate to apologise.
The news website Narada News had alleged a huge corruption scandal before last year's assembly election in the state. It reported that Trinamool leaders - most of them elected lawmakers - were caught on camera taking wads of cash from a reporter posing as the owner of a company, apparently seeking favours from the Mamata Banerjee government.
Yesterday, a group of Trinamool leaders, including Saugata Roy, moved the Supreme Court to stop the CBI probe which had been ordered over the weekend by the Calcutta high court. The court had asked the investigating agency to conduct a preliminary inquiry within 72 hours and file a case. Today, the Supreme Court expanded the time limit to one month.
Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP of masterminding the episode to discredit her government and party."One lakh, two lakh at election time is not a factor. No one asked for money, it was a donation," the Chief Minister had said on Friday, stressing it was not illegal.