CBI quizzes Assam MLA in Saradha case

Guwahati: The CBI questioned Assam Congress legislator and former minister Anjan Dutta in Kolkata on Monday in connection with the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam.
Unlike Dutta, his party colleague and former Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, did not appear before the Special Investigating Team, a CBI unit created to deal with the Saradha case. Sarma, who had earlier led a campaign to replace Tarun Gogoi as chief minister, sought time till Wednesday.
“I was not called for an interrogation. The CBI wanted some documents and clarifications on the money suit that I had earlier filed against Sudipta Sen (head of the Saradha group) for duping me of more than Rs 65 lakh,” Dutta said after spending about an hour at the CBI office.
The CBI asked Dutta about his newspaper printing business and his involvement with Sen. The latter printed ‘Sakalbela’, a Bengali paper owned by his company, at Dutta’s press in Guwahati. He claimed Sen has not cleared dues worth more than Rs 65 lakh.
“The cheque that Sen gave me against the purchase of my printing machine bounced. I sent him court notices. The CBI wanted some clarification on this. I have submitted all documents,” Dutta said.
Earlier, the CBI had sent him a letter asking him to appear as a witness before the SIT in Kolkata on Monday.
Sarma’s counsel told the CBI that the former minister was called to New Delhi for an important party meeting for which he could not turn up at the CBI office in Kolkata on Monday. A CBI source said Sarma has sought a new date, either November 25 or 26, for his appearance. In recent months, the CBI has questioned about six people from Assam on their links with Sen.