WB Minister Madan Mitra arrested in Saradha scam

Kolkata, December 12
The CBI on Friday arrested West Bengal Transport Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra in connection with the multi-crore-rupee Saradha chit fund scam.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also arrested Naresh Balodia, the legal adviser of Saradha chief and scam kingpin Sudipta Sen.

“Mitra was arrested on prima facie evidence of criminal conspiracy, cheating and misappropriation as well as deriving undue financial benefits from the Saradha group,” CBI official Kanchan Prasad told IANS.

“CBI also arrested Naresh Balodia on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and diversion of funds in the same case,” she added.

Mitra, also the Sports Minister, was arrested following many hours of grilling by CBI sleuths at the agency office here.

He is the fourth Trinamool leader after Rajya Sabha members Kunal Ghosh and Srinjoy Bose and party functionary Rajat Majumdar, to be arrested in the scam.

Meanwhile, alleging that Madan Mitra directly contributed in the tainted Saradha group duping lakhs of investors, the Left Front on Friday expressed confidence all those involved in the multi-crore-rupee scam will be punished.

Left Front chairman Biman Bose said Mitra had directly contributed getting the people cheated by praising scam kingpin and Saradha promoter Sudipta Sen.

“The Minister had declared,  while addressing a programme in which people involved in chit funds participated, that Sudipta Sen can be relied upon because he has shown how to make an ocean from droplets,” Bose said, referring to Mitra’s presence at events organised by Saradha.

“The state Minister has directly helped in cheating the people of Bengal and, therefore, all those who have contributed in cheating the people deserve to be punished and they will be punished,” the veteran Communist party of India-Marxist leader added. — IANS