KOLKATA : West Bengal Transport Minister Madan Mitra, who was arrested by the CBI for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam, on Friday accused three CPM leaders of being involved in the scam. The court rejected his bail plea yet again and remanded him in judicial custody.
While leaving the CBI office at the CGO complex in Salt Lake to appear before Alipore Court, Mitra told newsmen: “I have named several CPM leaders, including Mohammad Salim, Sujon Chakraborty and Rabin Deb. The CBI is not interrogating them because they belong to the CPM.”
Reacting to Mitra’s accusation, CPM Lok Sabha MP Mohammad Salim said: “He has himself accepted in court that he is suffering from a psychological disorder. This means he is mentally unstable and has broken down before the CBI. The TMC and its leaders like Mamata Banerjee and Mukul Roy are involved in the scam and the CBI knows it. Let the CBI inquire and find out the truth.”
Former CPM MP Sujon Chakraborty said: “It is not unnatural for Mitra to publicly utter our names since we are on the streets demanding the arrest of the culprits. In reality, while being questioned, he has named Mamata and Mukul before the CBI, but does not have the courage to say it.”
Mitra’s pleaded for bail, but CBI counsel Parthsarati Datta said the minister was an influential politician and if set free, “could influence the investigation”. Judge Haradhan Mukherjee remanded Mitra and Naresh Bhalodia, Saradha group’s legal adviser, in 14 days’ judicial custody.
Mitra complained about the CBI threatening him.