Sting Op: Narada News Editor to Hand TMC Tapes to a Committee

The editor obliged as he has been receiving threats to his life and property in the city.

Narada expose has cast a shadow on the image of the TMC supremo. (Photo: The Quint)

The Calcutta High Court has directed Narada News editor, Mathew Samuel, to hand over the sting tapes allegedly showing Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders taking money and the device used to record these to a three-member committee, set up by it on Monday, 11 April 2016, in Delhi.

The bench had earlier directed Samuel to submit the tapes and device before the court, along with details of the company running Narada News, a web portal which allegedly conducted sting operations a few years back on several TMC leaders, including ministers and MPs.

Trinamool leaders that have allegedly accepted bribes. (Photo Courtesy: Narada News, altered by The Quint)

Samuel, however, pleaded in his affidavit that he would hand over the tapes to any authority or person as directed by the court as he apprehended threat to his life and property in the city.

Three-Member Committee

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice A Banerjee on Monday announced that the committee would be set up, comprising:

The Registrar General (Original Side) of Calcutta High Court,
CBI DIG at Kolkata and
An IG-rank officer of West Bengal Police which, will secure the tapes and device and submit these before the court .

The matter, which has serious ramifications on the entire system if the information is true. We feel the video tapes and device be kept in safe custody for meeting the ends of justice.

<b>Bench</b>

Taking note of Samuel’s affidavit apprehending threat to his life and property, which in this case are the tapes and the device, the court directed that Samuel would hand over the original video tapes and the device to the committee members in Delhi.

The bench directed that the committee would fix the venue and time where the tapes would be handed over. The committee members would secure the tapes and device and submit these before the court.

The court directed that the DGP of West Bengal Police would depute an IG-rank officer and his name would have to be given to the court by Tuesday, 12 April 2016.

The tapes were released recently by Narada News.

Three PILs were filed seeking action against Trinamool Congress leaders who were purportedly shown accepting money in exchange for promise of favours in the sting video.

Also read: From Saradha to Narada: The Ugly Underbelly of Bengal Politics