The Trinamool Congress has once again alleged “misuse” of CBI by the Centre for political reasons. Hours after the agency sent notice to Kolkata Municipal Corporation seeking details of trade licences given to four Saradha companies from a single address Kolkata Mayor Sobhan Chattopadhyay hit out at it for “acting with a political purpose.”
CBI has been investigating the larger conspiracy behind the Saradha chit fund scam. “It seems that the CBI will never mend its ways and continue to function with political motive. The credibility of the Central agency will erode if one sees the copies of such notice circulating in the hands of journalists before reaching their designated addressee,” Chattopadhyay, a senior Trinamool Congress leader said denying having received any such notice till date and wondering.
A Mayor is known for his proximity to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Though the CBI letter was addressed to the Chief licence Manager of the KMC sources said “irregularity of such a huge magnitude if at all it has happened cannot happen without the nod of the top functionaries of the Corporation.” According to reports the CBI was acting on complaints lodged with it by a Congress leader and a KMC Councilor Prakash Upadhyay.
“I have given all the relevant documents to show how 40 licenses were given to four Saradha companies reportedly functioning from a single address at 455 DH Road in Kolkata” Upadhyaya said wondering how so many licenses could be generated for a single address. Sources also said though the combined area of the companies was shown to be 6,000 sq feet the actual area of the premises was only 1,300 sq feet which “automatically makes it a fit case for refusing license.”
The CBI has reportedly asked KMC as to how many licenses were given to Saradha company and what fees was charged for the purpose. It has also asked the authorities to explain whether the premise in question was inspected before license was given. Upadhyay had earlier alleged that crores of rupees changed hands in what he calls a “license scam” alleging “the topmost leadership of the ruling party is involved in the scam” otherwise “what interest the KMC has in clearing so many licenses from a single premise and in such a short period of time.”