In a development that could have huge political ramifications for the ruling Trinamool Congress in Bengal, the CBI now probing the multi-crore Saradha chit fund case on Monday summoned State Transport Minister Madan Mitra and Rajya Sabha member Srinjoy Basu for questioning, sources in the investigating agency said.
Mitra considered a political big fish in the Trinamool circles and Basu a top businessman have been asked to appear at the CGO complex office of the CBI on Friday. While Mitra refused comments citing health grounds Basu said he had been summoned as a "witness" in the case and that "I will fully cooperate with the CBI as a responsible citizen of the country."
Sources in the CBI said a number of influential persons were still on the list of the investigators and would be summoned on opportune moments subject to clearance from New Delhi.
Apart from Mitra and Basu those in the CBI list were pro-Mamata Banerjee artist Subhaprasanna, Manoranjana Singh the ex-wife of former Congress Minister Matang Singh, another Bengal Minister Shyamapada Mukherjee, an Assam Minister and many others. On whether the Agency had definite reasons behind calling Mitra sources replied in the affirmative adding they had evidence to prove that "every month Saradha chief Sudipto Sen received telephone calls from Mitra whereafter packets were couriered to him through Sen's driver. This apart, Mitra was a regular visitor at Sen's Midland Park office at Salt lake."
He would be asked to explain as to why he visited Sen regularly, sources said. Basu was called because the "earlier documents submitted by him and replies to various questions he had been asked by the CBI need more clarifications."
Reacting to the Monday's development BJP leader and sole saffron MlA from the State said "this shows that the investigation is going on in right direction and the truth would definitely come out." CPI(M)'s Md Salim said "efforts by the Trinamool leadership to influence top CBI ranks have failed" while PCC president Adhir Chowdhury said "the summons are the beginning of the end of the TMC Government," adding "the days ahead of Mamata Banerjee are not happy."