At least 26 influential people, mostly belonging to the ruling political class of Bengal and some civil society members including film and tele-producers, are in the CBI cross hairs for their alleged connection with the Saradha multi-crore chit fund scam.
This apart, the CBI probing the multi-crore ponzi deal, arguably the biggest to have taken place in Independent India affecting more than 18 lakh people are trying to solve the mystery of about 10-12 bank accounts that played a big role in the scam.
According to sources the CBI has released 26 names in its alert issued to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) with a clear apprehension that some of these people might try to leave the country.
Among these 26 people there are former Central Ministers, Members of Parliament including one or two women, a few State Ministers, son of an ex-MlA — all belonging to the ruling Trinamool Congress. Apart from this, there is a former MP and two politicians including a State secretariat member of the Opposition CPI(M), sources said.
Those from the civil society whose names have been released to the AAI include a famous painter close to the ruling outfit, a couple of film and television producers also seen more often than not with the top politicians of the Trinamool Congress, sources have said.
On why the Agency alerted the AAI instead of impounding their passports sleuths said “the second options was always available” with them but it the first option was preferred because “otherwise it would have alerted them leading to some tampering of evidences.” Apart from this though the CBI had irrefutable evidences against most of them they were trying to gather foolproof evidence against some others before taking final action sources said.
The Agency was also focusing on 10-12 bank accounts belonging to Saradha chief Sudipta Sen and his company. Out of 22-24 accounts “these 10-12 accounts have a lot of mysterious dealings that have to be explained” source said adding one of these accounts show how an MP sold his media channel worth `16 lakh to Sen for a whopping `15 crore.
The sale of a cement company worth a few lakhs for several crores was also under CBI glare. The company belongs to a State Minister. Another account reveals how `60 lakh per month was paid to jailed MP Srinjoy Bose for a bare editorial input from his media company to Sen’s media channel.
Apart from this the over-priced sale of Shantanu Ghosh’s Global Automobiles barely worth `50 crore was also under CBI glare as was the large-scale land deals in West Midnapore and Vishnupur in South 24 Parganas. “The whole mystery seems to be closed in these 10-12 accounts” said insiders.
Meanwhile, State Transport Minister Madan Mitra who was earlier asked by the CBI to appear before it on Thursday rang them up on Wednesday asking for more time. The CBI has reportedly given him a day’s time and he has been asked to appear by 10 am on Friday.
The CBI sources said they could ask him to explain the recorded conversations allegedly between him and Sudipta Sen apart from his alleged visits to the Saradha headquarters at Midland Park from where he reportedly collected some mysterious packets.