Narada sting case: TMC MP Sultan Ahmed questioned by CBI

TMC Lok Sabha MP Sultan Ahmed was interrogated for nearly eight hours by officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection to the Narada sting case. The detailed interrogation was done at CBI's  Nizam Palace office in south Kolkata. In tapes released by Narada news portal last year, top TMC leaders and an IPS officer were seen accepting cash from Mathew Samuel, the CEO of the organisation who had posed as a businessman offering them money against some favours for a fictitious company.

Ahmed arrived at the CBI office at about 11 am and left the building at 7 pm. It was found out that Ahmed was shown the video clippings of the sting operation and was asked by CBI officers whether he had taken money from Samuel and if yes then why. Sources said that Ahmed had initially said that he had accepted the money in terms of donations for Mohammaden Sporting Club, a popular football club which he heads but later could not give a believable reply to whether he had documents which would prove that he had deposited the money to the club’s fund.

Officials also said that to most questions Ahmed was evasive and replied that he could not recollect precisely. Officials also wanted to know whether he had introduced Samuel to other TMC leaders because according to the video footages he had promised Samuel that he would introduce him to other top leaders of the party. It was also found out that the CBI had found several inconsistencies in Ahmed’s statement and said he would be further summoned for questioning.

Ahmed is the third person who had been summoned by the Central Agency for questioning in this case. Prior to this, TMC MLA and deputy mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation Iqbal Ahmed who is also Sultan Ahmed’s brother, had been called for interrogation by the CBI. After that, accused IPS officer SMH Mirza was quizzed in this case.