Another Saradha depositor commits suicide

Our Bureau Updated - April 27, 2013 at 10:04 PM.

Yet another investor in the deposit schemes run by the Saradha Group has committed suicide in Purulia district of West Bengal . Reports said Tapan Kr Biswas, who had deposited around Rs 2 lakh in the various schemes of the Saradha Group hanged himself on Saturday .

This is the third such incident in the State. A lady depositor and a Saradha agent previously took their lives .

Meanwhile, employees of

Bengal Post and
Sakabela , two Saradha Group operated dailies, filed an FIR against group owner Sudipta Sen and Trinamool MP Kunal Ghosh late on Friday.

In the FIR, the employees alleged non-payment of salaries for at least three months and breach of trust. Ghosh was the group CEO of Saradha’s media business.

While the Bengal Post (the group’s English daily) was officially shut down on March 31, Sakalbela – its Bengali daily – was closed on April 15.

The Saradha Group went bust earlier this month. The group had interests in the realty, tours and travels, housing and hospitality and media.

This is the second such FIR filed by employees of Saradha’s media ventures. On Thursday, employees of Channel 10, a regional news channel of the group, filed FIR against both Sen and Ghosh.

Ghosh, meanwhile, in a letter to the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has offered to step down as Rajya Sabha MP if allegations against him are proved.

Protests

There State also saw sporadic incidents of depositors demanding repayment of their dues. In one such incident in North Bengal, depositors demanded repayment from a collective investment scheme company. Employees of another company — Tower Group — too staged protests at an event demanding clearance of dues. The group, earlier this year, had closed down its regional daily.

Left Front rally

Biman Bose, Chairman, Left Front, said the Left parties would take out a rally protesting against the Saradha scam on April 30.

The students and women’s wing of the CPI(M) would conduct central and district-level conventions during the first week of May to support the demands of the depositors and agents impacted by the Saradha scam.  

abhishek.l@thehindu.co.in

ayan.pramanik@thehindu.co.in

Published on April 27, 2013 12:29