In a major blow to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) , the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday registered a money laundering case against party leaders in the Narada 'sting' case.
The agency has registered the case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on a first information report by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The CBI FIR was registered against 13 TMC leaders including MPs and ministers who were allegedly caught on camera taking bribes.
It will probe the 'proceeds of crime' generated in this case and soon summonses would be issued to the accused for questioning, they said.A case of alleged criminal conspiracy and corruption against Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Roy, Lok Sabha MPs Sultan Ahmed, Saugata Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Aparupa Poddar, among others had been filed by the CBI.
The case has been registered on the completion of a preliminary enquiry that was first conducted by the CBI.
The preliminary enquirywas registered on the directions of a division bench of the Calcutta High Court, comprising acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice T. Chakraborti.
The Narada sting tapes, which were released to news organisations before the 2016 assembly elections in West Bengal, showed people resembling senior TMC leaders receiving money allegedly after promising favours.
Alleging political vendetta, Mamata Banerjee-led TMC has said that the CBI is acting at the behest of the Modi government to target its leaders.
(With inputs from agencies)