The long trail of Saradha scam

Involvement of central agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED), seems to have had a major impact on the probe on multi-billion dollar money-collection scam in West Bengal and the neighbouring States.

The CBI has already arrested nearly a dozen of people suspected to be a part of the Saradha scam.

The biggest catch, so far in West Bengal, had been Rajat Majumdar, former West Bengal director general of police and Vice-President of the ruling Trinamool Congress. A top official of the city-based East Bengal football club and two businessmen were also arrested.

ED has also repeatedly interrogated Trinamool Congress MP Ahmed Hassan Imran, who was editor of a Saradha group-promoted Bengali newspaper, targeting Muslim readership.

According to a report appearing in Bengali newspaper Anandabazar Patrika , Imram was allegedly a conduit for fund transfer between Trinamool and Anti Seikh Hasina outfit Jamat-e-Islami in Bangladesh. The report quoted Bangladesh intelligence sources.

The Saradha group came to prominence since 2009-10 when the balance of power was tilting in favour of Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress. Their growth assumed phenomenal proportion after Banerjee came to power in 2011.

The CBI investigations therefore led to some flutters in the Trinamool camp with at least one top minister and a top party functionary, reportedly under the scanner of the probe agency.

Trinamool’s case has been further weakened by Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh.

A journalist-turned-politician, Ghosh was one of Mamata’s closest aides and the CEO of Saradha’s vast media empire that was allegedly created to support the cause of Trinamool. Ghosh was arrested by State police in November 2013, after he alleged involvement of party top brass in the scam. With the arrival of CBI, Ghosh is now firing from all cylinders against Mamata Banerjee government.

But the most explosive statement came from Arvind Singh Chouhan, the driver of the Saradha chief Sudipta Sen.

On September 24, after being released on bail, Chouhan claimed that Trinamool general secretary Mukul Roy and party MP Subhendu Adhikari joined Sen in a meeting at a central Kolkata venue. Soon after the meeting Sen escaped from Kolkata.

Chouhan’s allegations are largely in line with the media statements of Kunal Ghosh.

Meanwhile both the central agencies widening probe on other chit-funds operating or operated in the region.

Earlier this month CBI arrested Odisha’s former advocate general Ashok Mohanty and a Mumbai based model for alleged involvement in Artha Tatwa (AT) Group. Raids were also conducted on Seashore group in Odisha.