PILs seek CBI, ED probe into bribery sting on Trinamool leaders

Calcutta High Court likely to admit pleas on Friday

West Bengal's opposition Congress and BJP and an independent advocate on Wednesday moved court against leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress demanding a joint probe by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate who were allegedly caught on camera accepting money for certain favours in a sting operation.

Three separate public interest litigations (PIL) have been filed by Brajesh Jha, leader of BJP, Congress' general secretary in the state, Amitabha Chakraborty jointly with Abbasuddin, a leader of the party and Akshay Kumar Sarangi, an advocate.

However, although the PIL has been tabled before a divisional bench in the Calcutta High Court, it hasn't been admitted yet. Sources said the PILs are likely to be admitted by Friday this week.

 

A video footage from a web portal, Narada, surfaced early this week which alleged several ministers in the Trinamool led West Bengal government as well as the Mayor of Kolkata accepting money. This came in just a month before the state goes for the assembly elections.

While the Trinamool has stated this footage as a political agenda which is used to malign the party in the wake of the polls, the opposition has actively cried foul and called for several political actions.

"The entire footage has a political overtone and thus it has been decided that the party will deal with this matter", Sovan Chatterjee, mayor of Kolkata and one of the accused said.

In the ongoing session of the Lok Sabha today, the Speaker has referred the incident to be inquired by its Ethics Committee after the CPI-M parliamentarians mounted stiff opposition on Saugato Ray, a Trinamool parliamentarian and one of the several accused in the sting operation.

If found guilty of corruption as levelled by the CPI-M, the members of the Lok Sabha may face suspension and may even be ousted off the Parliament.