Another powerful Minister in Mamata Banerjee Cabinet has come under the CBI scanner. The agency probing the “larger conspiracy angle” in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund case has received information from witnesses that “which need to be corroborated by questioning this politician,” sources said. The Minister, who reportedly hails from Kolkata, had received a huge amount of money from Saradha chief Sudipto Sen before fleeing Kolkata. The money was later used to meet the expenses of a pro-Trinamool Congress television channel which was once run by Sen, but later fell in rough weathers after his arrest.
The CBI, which had sought permission from the higher authorities in Delhi on whether to proceed against the powerful politician immediately, is waiting for clearances from above. Incidentally, jailed Trinamool MP Kunal Ghosh had a few days ago alleged that “at least eight MPs and six Ministers in the State Government have benefited from Saradha scam.” Another former Trinamool leader, Asif Khan, had earlier claimed that at least 121 party leaders were somehow related to Saradha scam.
Curiously, he was subsequently arrested by the State police in a separate case and had to cool heels behind the bar for several months before getting bail. After coming out of the jail Khan has, however, fallen silent. If this Minister is summoned by the CBI then he will be the third Cabinet colleague of the Chief Minister to be grilled by the Agency. Apart from State Transport Minister, Madan Mitra, who is now in jail, Textile Minister SP Banerjee had also been grilled by the ED and CBI for reportedly selling a cement factory to Sen for a price which was far more than the market rate.
According to sources Sen had left at least Rs1,000 crore with some Trinamool leaders before fleeing Kolkata purportedly as a “price” for not being arrested. The Minister in question “received a good part of it,” witnesses to the deals have said. This is second such development after reports came in that daughter of State Minister Sadhan Pande had received a few crores from jailed chit fund owner Gautam Kundu who is the CMD of Rose Valley group. The ED has been investigating the case. The Minister’s daughter however has claimed that she received the money for giving service to Rose Valley’s media offices and resorts,” sources said.