The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today arrested Manoranjana Singh, ex-wife of former Congress minister Matang Singh, and city-based entrepreneur Santanu Ghosh for their alleged involvements in the multi-crore Saradha scam.
The investigating agency also interrogated Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Paul for nearly five hours in connection with the Rose Valley and Saradha chit fund scams.
Transactions with SaradhaAccording to a CBI spokesperson, Singh and Ghosh were arrested for their involvement in financial transactions with the Saradha Group.
Manoranjana Singh was Managing Director of NE TV that was involved in a financial transaction with Saradha group. Saradha Group CMD Sudipta Sen in his letter had named and accused her of de-frauding him. City-based entrepreneur Santanu Ghosh’s name too featured in the same letter by Sen.
According to the letter, Ghosh had approached Sen twice – once to sell a Bengali news channel and the second time to sell his automobile company. Sen also alleged that the automobile company had “huge liabilities” and that he was forced to purchase it. He further alleges that no manufacturing took place at Global Automobiles and Ghosh had generated false bills by showing non-existent manufacturing activity.
Ghosh incidentally was earlier arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for his complicity in the scam.
TMC MP quizzedTapal Paul was also interrogated, according to CBI sources, regarding his involvement with both the deposit-taking companies – Saradha and Rose Valley.
Paul was one of the directors in Rose Valley group.
In March, CBI conducted raid at the residences and offices of Paul. Both the Saradha and Rose Valley groups were involved in deposit-taking and money collection schemes operating in West Bengal and the neighbouring States.