In a development that could snatch many a Trinamool Congress leader’s sleep, a senior party MP and former Union Minister Mukul Roy is reported to have handed over crucial documents regarding party’s balance sheet, particularly expenses incurred by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on her electoral campaigns to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The secret files were deposited with the CBI in its Delhi office “maybe on Thursday or Friday” by two confidants of the said MP who once enjoyed the party’s number two position before being sidelined by Mamata Banerjee who divested him off crucial posts — including that of party general secretary, vice president, parliamentary party leadership and Trinamool core committee membership — on suspicion of his getting dangerously close to the BJP.
The party core committee now consists of MPs Subrato Bakshi, Chief Minister’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee and State Minister Partho Chatterjee.
The leader who still enjoys considerable clout inside the party voluntarily refused the “Z category” security that he enjoyed a few days ago. When asked to explain his decision the leader said “I have been learning about so many decisions concerning me from newspapers. I did not want a similar decision in this case also. So I have voluntarily given up my security.”
Some close followers of the said leader who had a couple of years ago launched a new party called Indian Trinamool Congress at his behest said their leader would “sooner or later officially join this party.”
Though there was no communication from any side sources in Trinamool Congress said in the details that have been handed over to the investigating Agency also probing the crucial Sharada and Narada scams have handed over the party’s balance sheet and documents related to its electoral expenses including the Chief Minister’s chopper bills and the party’s accounts in various banks in the country.
Sources said the leader has in his possession many crucial documents that can not only embarrass the party but also put its leadership in huge legal problem. These ocuments could include information related to the fake accounts opened by some companies — Trinetra and Jaganmata — that were used to transfer crores of rupees, sources said.
According to insiders the leader had also deposited information related to proceeds from the Chief Minister’s paintings. Banerjee’s painting funds had kicked off quite a heat and dust in 2014 general elections when opposition leaders regularly referred to receipt of Rs 1.80 crore in lieu of her paintings.
On reasons behind the leader’s decision to part with the crucial documents sources said investigations had led the CBI to some of his close family members and he had no other way but to gamble by parting with the documents. The leader could also turn “approver” in the final run sources said.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool leadership had gone into a huddle over the likely impact of the alleged “treachery,” though the leadership tried to put up a brave face saying “there is no document that can harm the party which runs on people’s money.”