ED arrests Sudipta aide in Saradha scam case

KOLKATA: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday arrested Prasanta Naskar, a close aide and henchman of Sudipta Sen. Naskar was arrested on charges of assisting Saradha kingpin in siphoning off the group’s ill-gotten money through at least three companies the former had floated over the last few years.
Sleuths are also trying to find out if he acted as a conduit for a politician in the money-laundering process.
Prasanta’s rise from a petty bus conductor at Pailan to the director of at least three companies is one of the most fascinating success stories in the Saradha Group. Prasanta got in touch with Sudipta Sen in 1999, while the latter was spreading his network in South 24-Parganas’ Bhasha along with the former director of Saradha Realty, Biswanath Adhikari. Sources said an expelled member of CPM introduced him to Sudipta.
Sudipta, who spoke about Prasanta’s role in detail during his recent interrogation, said Prasanta walked up the ladder by winning his trust. Prasanta and his brother Pijush reportedly entered into construction material supply business. His power in Saradha increased after Saradha’s director Biswanath Adhikari was murdered.
According to sleuths, Prasanta played a key role when Sudipta started acquiring land for Saradha Garden at Bhasha duping farmers. During investigation, ED officials found that Naskar was paid at least Rs 12 crore from several accounts of the group. In 2007, Naskar floated his first company — Sneha Properties Developers. In the same year, he floated another firm, Sneha Enterprise. In 2010, he became proprietor of yet another company — P Brothers & Co. By the time his companies grew, Naskar started acquiring land for Sudipta through coercion.
When Naskar’s business was growing, he needed a political backing to support his existence outside Saradha. At this stage, he reportedly got in touch with a Trinamool Congress leader.
ED officials on Friday also interrogated Madan Mitra’s ex-aide Bapi Karim over his alleged involvement in Saradha Garden.