Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Mukul Roy on Wednesday asked for “15 days” to appear before the officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), investigating multi-crore Saradha Ponzi scheme scam.
He has written to the central agency, TMC sources confirmed.
On Monday, CBI had sent a summon to Mukul Roy asking him to appear before the CBI later this week.
Following up on the summon, TMC’s general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Mukul Roy wrote to the agency on Wednesday. “Mr Roy asked for 15 days’ time to appear before the agency citing notification of the Lok Sabha by-election in his area (in North 24 Paraganas and Nadia district),” TMC sources told The Hindu .
Mukul Roy is a resident of North 24 Paraganas.
The CBI, however, has asked Mr Roy to appear “by next week,” sources confirmed. The by-election in Bangaon Lok Sabha and Nadia Bidhan Sabha constituency will be held on February 13. Earlier in the day, after reaching the city from Delhi, Mr Roy rushed to the State Secretariat, Nabanna to meet the party chief, Mamata Banerjee.
CBI threatening us: Partha
After Roy’s meeting with the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the afternoon, the party convened a press conference in the city. TMC’s secretary general and West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee Partha Chatterjee claimed that “the CBI is issuing threats” to TMC leaders.
“How can the CBI documents, which are supposed be kept secret, be known in advance by the BJP leaders and how some media houses were showing their contents in the name of sources…they are threatening some of us as well.”
He also wondered how some news channels were able to “list questions” to be asked by the CBI. Mr Chatterjee also questioned the role of media.
“The CBI was trying to intimidate TMC leaders using a section of the media and the way the agency is harassing TMC leaders it is objectionable … raises questions about its neutrality,” said Mr. Chatterjee.
However, the party has no plans to record grievances in the court ‘for the time being’, he added.
However, Mr Chatterjee firmly backed Mukul Roy. He said that “Mukul Roy will not be removed from his post” and he continues to remain party’s general secretary and a MP of Rajya Sabha.
