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Narada sting case: BJP leader Mukul Roy appears before CBI, denies his involvement

Pranab Mandal

KOLKATA:  Senior Trinamool leader Mukul Roy on Saturday appeared before the CBI and was interrogated face to face with IPS officer SMH Mirza, who was arrested three days ago, in connection with Narada sting operation case. Roy was questioned for over two hours.In the sting operation conducted by the Narada News portal in 2014, Roy was seen conversing with Mathew Samuels, the CEO of the portal. The sting operation was published in 2016, just before the Assembly elections in Bengal.

“While West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee says one should not be co-operative with the investigating agency, I feel it is the duty of a law-abiding citizen to do so. I will come each time the CBI calls me because I am not involved in this case,” Roy said after coming out of the CBI’s office.

Roy was asked to appear before the investigating agency on Friday but sought more time citing preoccupations. The agency asked him to come on Saturday.

Roy interrogated by the CBI earlier in connection with the case. Mirza was seen accepting cash from a representative of the news portal who feigned to be an owner of a fictitious company.Thirteen Trinamool MPs and MLAs were allegedly seen accepting cash from representatives of the portal.

In another development, BJP working president JP Nadda on Saturday said ‘jungle raj’ and a reign of terror had been unleashed in the state on the watch of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He offered Tarpan (homage to deceased) for BJP leaders killed in the state in recent past.

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