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The Calcutta High Court said on Friday that it would pass an order on Monday deciding to whom Narada News web portal chief Mathew Samuel would hand over his sting video tapes. The tapes purportedly show ruling Trinamool Congress leaders taking money from a fictitious company.
A division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice Arijit Banerjee reserved its order on the issue and said it would pass the order on Monday.
Samuel, whose Narada News portal carried out a sting operation against some Trinamool Congress leaders, stated in an affidavit before the high court that for reasons pertaining to his own security, he would like to submit footage of the ‘sting operation’ to any central agency.
Appearing for the TMC leaders, party MP and counsel, Kalyan Banerjee, objected to Samuel’s request, submitting before the court that every central agency was controlled by the ruling party at the Centre and as such, the tapes should be handed over only to the court.
The division bench also directed Samuel to provide information regarding the sting operation as directed in its order of 22 Marchthrough an affidavit by 12 April.
The matter would be heard again on 15 April.
The division bench noted that Samuel had not placed before the court the device used to record the sting footage which show TMC leaders allegedly accepting money.
It also noted that the company which Samuel said ran Narada News was formed in January 2016, while the tapes were allegedly made a few years ago.
The bench also noted that Samuel had not disclosed the dates of recording, as directed by the court on 22 March.
The Chief Justice observed that the court’s priority was to ensure preservence of public confidence in the administration, while stating that the position of the leaders allegedly caught on tape was also going to be taken into consideration.
Samuel had stated in his affidavit that Narada News is a Delhi-based company with four directors, including him, and that it had proper credentials.
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