The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday appealed before the Calcutta High Court that it be allowed to probe the multi-crore Saradha scam. The Saradha Group, which went bust in April, is said to have mobilised nearly Rs 20,000 crore allegedly through ponzi schemes.
ED would probe the incident under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The appeal was made during a hearing of the Division Bench of Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Joymalyo Bagchi. The Bench was hearing a petition that CBI be allowed to investigate the Saradha scam.
Indicating non-cooperation from the State Government, Bhaskar Baisya, counsel for ED, claimed that despite several reminders, the agency was not given a copy of the FIR filed against the Saradha Group.
Justice Mishra, meanwhile, observed that the State Government should provide necessary information to the ED. He added that the matter was of “national and international importance”.
According to lawyer Subrata Mukherjee, who filed a PIL demanding a CBI probe, the Court had observed that there was need for a central agency to investigate the matter; considering the “nature of the crime” and several suicides taking place as an effect of the scam.
CBI probe
Meanwhile, the Court directed Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file an affidavit on whether the CBI has taken up any investigation against Saradha Group in other States. The affidavit has to be submitted by Thursday.
ayan.pramanik@thehindu.co.in