CBI raids in Kolkata, DGP assures ‘all help’

As per sources, DGP Reddy, who was in Delhi for several other administrative meetings, is learnt to have told Sinha that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the West Bengal government would hand over all the documents related to the financial scam to the SIT formed by the CBI.

Significantly, there have been reports of “non-cooperation” by the SIT of the state police, with reports further stating that investigation agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (besides the CBI) faced hurdles in accessing the documents and evidence related to chit fund scam. The CBI had earlier set a deadline of July 31 to take in possession all the scam-related documents from the state police of West Bengal and Orissa.

The agency has formed at least 12 teams in Kolkata which conducted raids at 10 locations in the city today. Among these locations are the head office of Saradha at Midland Park in Salt Lake, the office on Diamond Harbour Road in Behala, two residential premises of Saradha CMD Sudipta Sen, residence of arrested TMC MP Kunal Ghosh, residence of arrested executive director of Saradha Group Debjani Mukherjee and those of other directors of the group.

“The SIT has today conducted searches on 10 locations in West Bengal and 20 locations in Orissa. The searches were conducted at different offices as well as residential premises belonging to various accused and suspects and the companies against whom cases have been registered,” said Kanchan Prasad, Chief Information Officer of the CBI.