Central agency wants to know about nature of dealings between Subhaprasanna, Sen
Yet another face of the Bengal intelligentsia has received a CBI notice for alleged business dealings with jailed chit fund kingpin Sudipta Sen. In another major embarrassment for the ruling Trinamool Congress, one of its staunchest supporters and famous artist, Subhaprasanna has been served a notice by the CBI.
The Central agency — probing the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam — wants to know about the nature of the dealings between the artist and Sen. Subhaprasanna, who is known for his proximity to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, had sold his television channel to Sen.
The CBI wants to know about the deal and has asked him to appear before it with three years’ balance sheet, profit-and-loss books etc, sources said. He has also been asked by the Central agency to present before it the copy of the agreement with Sen within October 9.
The development comes barely a day after the CBI sent summons to Bengal Textiles Minister Shyamapada Mukherjee to explain his alleged business dealings with the jailed Saradha.
The Minister had sold him his loss-making cement factory for above the market price stoking suspicions whether chit fund money had been channelised through such shady deals.
He is the second such prominent member of the civil society after Aparna Sen to have been sent notices by any Central agency in connection with the Saradha scam.
When Subhaprasanna, one of the prominent faces of the civil society during the Nandigram movement, was asked last year about the deal he had conceded that the television channel was indeed sold by him to Sen as it was running in huge loss.
He had secured the channel’s license from the then I&B Minister, Ambika Soni, after a special request was made to her by Banerjee, the artist had earlier told the media earlier.
“But subsequently when I found that I was incurring heavy loss I sold it to Sen who had himself approached me. There was nothing in his countenance to be suspicious of. So I struck the deal,” Subhaprasanna said. The channel was reportedly sold for Rs 6 crore.
Meanwhile, Mohun Bagan Club officials on Sunday confirmed that the Club’s accounts had indeed been frozen by the ED and said that it was becoming difficult for the organisation to run its day-to-day business.
“We are sending a letter to the ED to allow us to operate the account as we have to pay our staff and the players” Anjan Mitra a senior official said adding the Club would not be in a position to play the Sikkim Government Gold Cup if the ban was not lifted.