Bank fraud duo to be probed by ED

Kolkata: Two businessmen—- Sibaji Panja and Kaustuv Roy— who were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday in connection with a bank fraud of Rs 515.15 crores are all set to face another probe; this time by the Enforcement Directorate  for allegedly money laundering.

The arrested duo, being directors of the private IT firm: RP Info Sytems, were remanded in the CBI custody for three days by the Alipore Court on Friday.

According to sources, the ED has plans to investigate what the two accused did with the huge amount of money after obtaining it as loan.

From the CBI it has learnt that the accused had given 19 addresses across the state as colateral security to obtain the loan from Canara Bank, sources revealed adding that the list of places includes Kaikhali and Garia in the city, Uttarpara in Hooghly, Khardah in North 24 Parganas, Baruipur in South 24 Parganas and Contai in East Midnapore among others.

The ED want to probe whether any property in these addresses exist or not.

It is likely to move the court with a prayer to take them in its custody after their CBI remand ends. Sources disclosed that the investigators have found strong political connections of both.

While Mr Panja was once seen in the company of top leadership of the Trinamool Congress after it came to power, Mr Roy had links with the CPI(M) and he had spent huge amount of money for the election campaign of a Left candidate in the last Assembly Elections in the state.