What is Narada sting tape case: All you need to know

NEW DELHI: The Calcutta high court on Thursday adjourned the hearing in the Narada sting tape case, in which two West Bengal ministers, an MLA and a former mayor of Kolkata were arrested by the CBI earlier this week.
In view of the adjournment on Wednesday, ministers Subrata Mukherjee and Firhad Hakim, Trinamool Congress MLA Madan Mitra and former Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee will continue to remain in judicial custody.
The petition of the CBI seeking transfer of trial in the case and the recalling application filed by the four leaders on the high court's stay order on the bail granted by a CBI court on Monday will be further heard by the division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Arijit Banerjee on May 20.
What is Narada sting operation?
'Narada sting operation' was an undercover investigation conducted by a news outlet which aimed to reveal corruption within the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Between 2014 and 2016, founder of the 'Narada News' Mathew Samuel conducted a sting operation on at least 12 TMC leaders and an IPS officer in which they were allegedly seen receiving cash in exchange of extending business favors to a firm.
The company named 'Impex Consultancy Solutions' was a fictitious firm forged by Samuel to conduct the sting operation.
While the sting operation was started in 2014, it was not published until 2016, ahead of the 2016 West Bengal Assembly elections.
The sting was published by Tehelka.
Who were named?
TMC leaders incuding state cabinet ministers, sitting MLAs and Members of Parliament were allegedly caught on camera, either accepting money or responding favourably to Samuel's proposals.
The 56-hour-long footage caught included Mukul Roy, Sougata Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Prasun Banerjee, Suvendu Adhikari, Aparupa Poddar, Sultan Ahmad (died in 2017), Madan Mitra, Sovan Chatterjee, Subrata Mukherjee, Firhad Hakim, Iqbal Ahmed, Shanku Deb Panda and now-suspended IPS HMS Mirza.
While Mukul Roy and Suvendu Adhikari are now in the BJP, Sovan Chatterjee had also joined the party but quit ahead of 2021 assembly elections after being denied a ticket.
Legal proceedings
Mamata Banerjee-led Bengal government had started a probe against Narada News founder Mathew Samuel.
He was booked under multiple sections of the IPC including sections 469 (forgery to harm reputation), 500 (defamation), 120(B) (criminal conspiracy).
However, the Calcutta high court stayed the probe in 2016 observing that the state's investigation cannot run parallel to a court-monitored probe.
In March 2017, the high court directed the CBI to file an FIR.
In April 2017, the CBI filed an FIR against 12 TMC leaders for “criminal conspiracy” and subsequently summoned them to assist in the investigation.
They were booked under Section 120 B of IPC (criminal conspiracy), Section 13 (2), 13 (1D) and Section 7 of Prevention of Corruption Act.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also been investigating the case for misappropriation of public funds under Anti-Corruption-Act.
Why are we talking about it now?
On May 9, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar sanctioned the prosecution of former ministers Firhad Hakim, Subrata Mukherjee, Madan Mitra and Sovan Chatterjee in the Narada sting operation case.
Following this, the CBI arrested the four top TMC leaders on May 17. All four were granted bail by a Special CBI court. But the CBI approached the Calcutta High Court, which cancelled the bail order and sent all four to jail.
While 12 TMC leaders were named in the sting, the CBI arrested only four. All four TMC leaders have been elected to the current state legislative assembly in the just-concluded elections.