M A I N   N E W S

saradha scam
CBI arrests TMC MP Srinjoy Bose
Subhrangshu Gupta
Tribune News Service

Minister, former MP quizzed A CBI spokesperson said Bose was arrested "for prima facie involvement in the Saradha realty case and for allegations of criminal conspiracy, misappropriation of funds and deriving undue financial benefits" The central agency also quizzed Textiles Minister Shyamapada Mukherjee in connection with the sale of shares of a cement plant to the Saradha Group chief, and former Trinamool Congress MP Somen Mitra

Kolkata, November 21
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today arrested Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Srinjoy Bose for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam.

The central agency also quizzed TMC minister Shyamapada Mukherjee and former TMC MP Somen Mitra (now in the Congress). The minister was accused of squeezing money from Saradha Group by selling a mini-cement factory owned by him in Bankura. Mitra was asked to explain the financial agreement of the East Bengal Club with Saradha Group.

After the interrogation, Mitra told mediapersons he had no role in the agreement of the East Bengal Club with the group. He said he had written several times to the UPA-II demanding a probe into the scam.

West Bengal Transport Minister, who has been summoned by the agency, skipped the interrogation on the medical ground. He has been admitted to SSKM Hospital with a respiratory problem. Reacting to the fast-paced developments, TMC MP and spokesman Derek O'Brien claimed, "CBI is a political tool which was used by the previous government to settle political scores. Now the BJP is doing an action replay. They cannot combat the TMC politically. They have tried and failed. So what do they do? Let loose a discredited CBI."

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed the Centre and the previous LF government for the chit fund scam and wondered what the CBI, SEBI and BJP were doing then. Questioning why the CBI, SEBI and the BJP did not act earlier, Banerjee asserted, "Our government arrested the owner of the Saradha Group which was set up during the Left Front rule." (With agency inputs)