Narada Sting Operation: ED files prosecution complaint under PMLA against 5 TMC leaders

Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a Prosecution Complaint under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) in case of Narada sting operation case against Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders Firhad Hakim, Subrata Mukherjee, Madan Mitra, Sovan Chatterjee and IPS Officer SMH Meerza before the Special Judge (PMLA) in Kolkata.

According to the official statement by the government agency, "Enforcement Directorate has filed a Prosecution Complaint under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) in the case of Narada Sting Operation, against Firhad Hakim, Transport and Housing Minister, Government of West Bengal, Subrata Mukherjee, Panchayat Minister, Government of West Bengal, Madan Mitra, MLA West Bengal, Sovan Chatterjee, former Mayor of Kolkata and S.M.H.Meerza, an IPS Officer of West Bengal Cadre before the Special Judge (PMLA), Kolkata with the prayer for awarding punishment to the accused for committing offence of money laundering and confiscation of the amount of gratification." ED initiated an investigation on the basis of FIR registered by Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the provisions of corruption act, 1988 and IPC, 1868 against 12 public persons, which includes sitting MLAs and MPs of West Bengal and an IPS officer of West Bengal cadre.

As per FIR, Mathew Samuel had conducted a sting operation during 2014 and recorded visual footage of these persons, who either themselves took money or instructed someone else to make money on their behalf from him.

In the sting operation, it was seen that the accused, in their capacity as public servants, accepted bribes to favour an individual, who was posing as a representative of a company at the time of transaction. Money laundering investigation conducted by ED has revealed that accused persons not only received illegal gratifications but also possessed the proceeds of crime and tried to conceal it by creating fictitious stories and mislead the investigation. Therefore today, ED has filed a Prosecution Complaint, wherein it is highlighted that how the above-mentioned highly placed persons laundered the proceeds of crime/illegal gratification. The Court has taken cognizance of the matter and directed to serve the summons to all the accused. The directorate is carrying out further investigation against the other accused in this case.

( With inputs from ANI )