CBI arrests WB IPS officer in Narada case

Kolkata: Making its first arrest in the Narada sting case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday took into custody IPS officer S.M.H. Mirza, who was allegedly shown in the Narada news portal clips accepting Rs 5 lakh from the sting operators.
Mirza, grilled several times earlier in connection with the scam, was arrested after a fresh round of interrogation by the CBI. He was produced before the CBI special court, which remanded him to custody till September 30.
The CBI lawyers had sought five-day custody stating Mirza was not cooperating and seemingly suppressing facts.
Mirza’s counsel said there was no need to take him into custody as being a responsible and high-ranking police officer, he would not flee.
The counsel said Mirza had always cooperated and presented himself before the CBI on nine occasions for questioning.
Mirza was the superintendent of police of the Burdwan district when the sting operation tape surfaced in 2016.
The CBI lodged an FIR on April 17, 2017 against 13 people, including Mirza and a number of Trinamool Congress ministers and MPs. (IANS)