Kolkata: In a fresh twist in the investigation of the Narada sting video case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has alleged non-cooperation on part of Mathew Samuel in the probe process.
Sources in the CBI said on Saturday that the status report that has been sent to the headquarters in Delhi on Friday night by Investigating Officer Ranjit Kumar stated that Samuel is not disclosing certain facts even after repeated interrogation. According to Kumar, Mathew had deposed a number of times before them but have been concealing certain crucial information.
The Investigating Officer has sought legal opinion in this regard as a report on the progress of the probe is to be submitted before the court in July.
A source in the CBI said Samuel has not given a satisfactory reply regarding his procurement of the money that was used in the Narada sting video.
It may be mentioned that the Special Director of the CBI, Rakesh Asthana, visited Kolkata on Wednesday and held meetings with all senior officers of the agency including the Investigating Officers of all the ongoing cases at Nizam Palace. He had directed all concerned officers to expedite the probe of the cases and to file the final charge-sheets by the end of 2018.
Abhay Singh, head of the Anti-Corruption Branch in Kolkata of the CBI who has been looking into the investigation of the Narada case, was transferred to Ranchi on Friday.
However, Samuel has refuted the CBI's allegations and said that he had deposed more than 15 times before the agency. "I have handed over every document that they have sought from me. I am cooperating with them right from the beginning of the probe," he claimed.