Trinamool MLA assures of cooperation in Narada probe

Kolkata, July 19 (IANS) Trinamool Congress legislator Iqbal Ahmed on Tuesday assured of cooperation in the police probe into a sting operation by Narada News, in which several high profile TMC leaders were allegedly shown accepting money.

Ahmed is slated to appear at the city police headquarters later in the day as he has been summoned for the probe.

"I have been summoned by police; I will go and tell them what the truth is and cooperate in the probe," said Ahmed, an MLA from Khanakul in Hooghly district.

"I will also urge the police to find out those responsible for this conspiracy and take suitable action," he said.

The ruling party MLA is the first politician to be summoned by the police in the sting controversy.

Police on July 13 questioned and recorded the statement of Indian Police Service (IPS) officer S.M.H. Meerza, who too featured in the sting.

Chief Minister and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee had in June ordered a probe headed by the city Police Commissioner to find if there was a "conspiracy" behind the sting.

The city police have also twice summoned Narada News editor-in-chief Mathew Samuel, who had conducted the sting.

But the journalist, who has been booked for several offences, including defamation and forgery, is yet to appear for questioning and has twice written to the police to seek withdrawal of the summons, as he contended the matter was pending before the Calcutta High Court.

Multiple litigations seeking an independent probe into the sting are pending before the court which has ordered a forensic test on the video footage and devices used for the sting.