Angry TMC accuses BJP of ‘vendetta’
After months of speculation the Central Bureau of Investigation has finally summoned Trinamul Congress general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Roy to question him in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam, in a major embarrassment to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
Known for his close proximity to Ms Banerjee, Mr Roy was considered the second most powerful leader in the party after the CM because of his organisational skills.
This development is another major blow to the Trinamul Congress, which is reeling under the Saradha meltdown with two Rajya Sabha MPs, Kunal Ghosh and Srinjoy Bose, and state transport minister Madan Mitra already behind bars for their role. Angered by the CBI summons to Mr Roy, the party accused the BJP of misusing the CBI for a political vendetta.
The CBI sent the summons to Mr Roy in an email on Sunday evening, asking him to appear in person at the CGO Complex at Salt Lake here on Monday, sources revealed. A hard copy of the notice was also delivered to Mr Roy’s Delhi address. On Monday morning, however, he left Kolkata for New Delhi.
At around 9.30 am, a senior CBI officer asked Mr Roy over the phone to appear at the CGO Complex. Citing his preoccupations, Mr Roy prayed for time and told him he would inform the agency of the date of appearance. His plea was granted, sources said. Mr Roy later confirmed he had received a call from the CBI.
“The CBI has asked me to appear before them. They told me that they wanted to speak to me. I informed them that I am in Delhi. After returning to Kolkata in a couple of days, I will meet the CBI,” he said. Mr Roy said he would cooperate in the probe but he claimed he was “absolutely clean”.
On Monday evening, he said he had called up the CBI to say he may appear for questioning at the CGO Complex on January 15.
“In my personal life as well as my political career, I have never been involved in any illegal or immoral activity,” Mr Roy said. Sources said the CBI had collected strong evidence establishing Mr Roy’s close links with Saradha owner Sudipta Sen and his role in the scam.
He had met Mr Sen twice in April 2013 as the Saradha Group collapsed. The first meeting was held at Nizam Palace in Kolkata on April 5, days before Mr Sen’s escape. In this meeting a blueprint was prepared to run Saradha’s media business in his absence.
Two Saradha accused, Mr Ghosh and chit fund company official Arvind Singh Chauhan, who had attended the meeting, revealed it to the CBI. Later, former Trinamul leader and Mr Roy’s former aide Asif Khan, who was also present, corroborrated this.
The CBI found Mr Sen was in touch with Mr Roy over the phone since his escape, and travelled to Delhi on Mr Roy’s instructions, meeting him at his residence on April 18. Mr Roy assured him during the second meeting that he would “manage” the CBI, sources said.
