West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the Narada News sting footage row. Earlier, in a sting footage over half a dozen of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders were allegedly shown receiving wads of currency notes.

Basudeb Banerjee, chief secretary said city police commissioner Rajeev Kumar will lead the inquiry.

The bureaucrat said, “After the preliminary inquiry, there will be investigation. Then everything according to law will be done.”

Mamata Banerjee said, “If anybody is guilty, he will be punished. I have asked the chief secretary to order a probe.”

The chief minister has said the inquiry will be taken on every aspect of the Narada Sting row including whether there was a controversy behind it and try to find all those who hatched it.

She said, “Today I gave a note to the Chief Secretary to start a probe on the entire episode. We also discussed the matter threadbare. A controversy was stirred up by conducting the so-called sting. It was a provocation and conspiracy to create a hostile public reaction”.

“We want the truth to come out. We want to know who all were behind the sting. I have seen on a number of occasions attempts were made to defame Bengal. We don't want that,” she added.

Earlier, in a Narada Sting operation, conducted by Narada News, six leader of the TMC were allegedly shown taking bribes in a footage. The video made public on March 14, a week before the election and the footage used by the opponents to campaign against TMC in the assembly election.

However, in the results declared on May 19 TMC won a massive majority and won back the power in the state. Five of six legislators shown in the video won the polls in their respective constituencies. Firhad Hakim, Subrata Mukherjee, Sovon Chatterjee and Suvendu Adhikari, who figured in the video have now become ministers in the present government.

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By Prajakt K.