In yet another embarrassment for the ruling Trinamool Congress, the CBI on Wednesday intensely grilled two-time party MP Tapas Paul to investigate into his role in the multi-crore Rose Valley and Saradha chit fund scams.
In the same case, the investigating agency arrested Manoranjana Sinh, the estranged wife of jailed Congress leader and former Union Minister Matang Sinh and businessman Shantanu Ghosh as “they were not co-operating with the investigation process.”
Sinh was arrested upon a complaint of jailed Saradha chief Sudipto Sen from whom she had allegedly taken Rs25 crore for selling a television channel but never actually transferred the property.
Paul was grilled for six long hours on a number of questions that ranged from the nature of his association with Rose Valley and the Saradha groups.
The CBI was focusing on a letter written by him to the Centre a few years ago complaining against rising chit-fund business in Bengal. In the letter he named a host of companies including the Saradha group but did not mention the Rose Valley group where he reportedly worked as a director.
Earlier this year, Paul, a famous Bangla actor hit the national headlines for making sexist remarks and threatening CPI(M) workers’ wives with rape and murder if they dared to attack the Trinamool men. Paul is an MP from Nadia district.
The CBI recorded his statements and would summon him letter for any further clarifications if needed, sources said. Paul’s house was raided by the Agency early this year.
Curiously a senior BJP leader had recently predicted that a number of senior Bengal leaders including MPs and Minister would be in jail for their involvement in the chit fund scams.