Narada sting operation case: Supreme Court setback to Mamata Banerjee

New Delhi: In a setback to the Trinamul government in West Bengal, the Supreme Court gave the go-ahead on Tuesday for a CBI probe into the Narada sting operation case on alleged pay-offs to several ruling party leaders of the state and a top IPS officer.

West Bengal Chief Minister, and TMC supremo, Mamata Banerjee, who was at the forefront of protests against the Central government’s demonetisation move, welcomed the top court order.

She said that the “the judgment of the apex court is good and constructive,” adding, “We always welcome a constructive verdict.” The TMC had been at the forefront of protests against demonetisation in the last Winter Session of Parliament. Ms Banerjee had held a joint rally with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal against the move in the national capital. The TMC had also led at least three marches to the President’s house.

The move was also welcomed by TMC’s arch rivals CPI(M), which also demanded that the West Bengal Chief Minister be brought under the purview of the CBI investigations into the Narada and Saradha scams.

The three-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice J.S. Khehar and Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Sanjay Kishan Kaul, refused to interfere with an interim order passed by the Calcutta high court on March 17 directing the CBI to conduct a “preliminary enquiry” into the sting.