Kolkata Police summons Narada chief

The Kolkata Police has summoned the CEO of Narada News, Matthew Samuel. An email has been sent to Samuel on Thursday summoning him to the city police’s headquarters at Lalbazar. However, there was no date mentioned in the e-mail by which he needs to turn up before the police. The police asked him to come to the Economic Offence Wing at Lalbazar and meet the concerned Assistant Commissioner of Police, sources said.

It is learnt that Samuel gave a reply to the e-mail stating that he had received the letter and consulting the matter with his lawyers. It may be mentioned that the state government had ordered an inquiry by the Commissioner of Police Rajeev Kumar into the Narada sting operation and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said truth should come out and those involved in the matter would be punished.

Subsequently, the Kolkata Police had formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the issue. The team will be headed by the Commissioner of Police. Other members of the team include Vishal Garg, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) and officers-in-charge of Cyber Crime police station and Economic Offense Wing (EOW) are the other members of the SIT. The SIT is investigating to find out the source of the money that was claimed to be used in the “so called sting operation” and who are the people behind the entire operation.

Ratna Chatterjee, wife of Mayor Sovan Chatterjee, also lodged a complaint against Samuel with New Market police station on Sunday. A case under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on charges of committing forgery for purpose of harming reputation (469 IPC), defamation (500 IPC), 

criminal conspiracy (120(B) IPC), intending to cause fear or alarm to the public (505(1)(b) IPC) and  false statement in connection with an election (171G).

The Calcutta High Court had ordered forensic test of the video footages of the sting operation in which Trinamool Congress leaders were filmed and the Supreme Court had also dismissed a petition seeking CBI probe into the sting operation. There is a hearing of the PIL in this connection with the Calcutta High Court on Friday.