Kolkata, Sep 26 (IANS): Welcoming the arrest of IAS officer S.M.H Mirza by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Narada sting footage case, journalist Mathew Samuel - who had conducted the sting in 2014 - on Thursday said it was one of the happiest days in his life.

"It is actually one of the happiest days in my life...the CBI has arrested one of the culprits. The tape (sting footage) was released in March, 2016. Finally there is a positive development. The first arrest has happened," Samuels said.

An emotional Samuel recalled the hard work and dedication with which he had conducted the sting and filed an "unbiased" investigative report.

In the sting operation conducted by Narada News chief Samuel, who posed as a businessman, the Indain Police Service (IPS) officer and a number of top Trinamool Congress leaders - some of whom have now crossed over to the BJP - were purportedly seen taking cash, or ordering that money be deposited elsewhere, in return for promising favours to a fictitious company.

The central investigation agency lodged an FIR on April 17, 2017, against 13 people including Mirza, a number of state ministers and MPs of the state ruling party, Trinamool Congress, a month after the Calcutta High Court ordered the federal agency to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the Narada sting footage case.