The multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam has, in the past one year, emerged as yet another high-profile corruption case having serious political ramifications in different States, with several political leaders coming under the scanner of Central investigating agencies.
The first to land in trouble was the now-suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh in West Bengal following allegations made by the prime accused and Saradha Group head, Sudipta Sen. He was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation about a year ago.
Mr. Ghosh, who was the chief executive officer of the Saradha Group’s media wing, in turn recently targeted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, telling the media that for the truth to emerge, she needed to be questioned.
He had earlier also mentioned former State Transport Minister Madan Mitra, former Industries Minister Partha Chatterjee and Srinjoy Bose, MP.
Earlier this week, Mr. Sen’s driver triggered yet another controversy after he named Trinamool MP Suvendu Adhikari and senior party leader Mukul Roy, alleging that they had met the prime accused before he went underground last year. The leaders have denied the allegations.
The CBI has also arrested former Director-General of Police, West Bengal, Rajat Majumdar, who was purportedly associated with the party and a security consultant in the Saradha Group.
Among those examined by the agencies in connection with the scam are Mr. Adhikari and another party MP, Ahmed Hasan Imran. While Congress leader and former Union Minister Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury has been quizzed, the CBI has summoned Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Rabin Deb.
Recruitment scamAnother scam that may have political fallout is the teachers’ recruitment scam in which former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, his son Ajay and 53 others were convicted by a special CBI court in the capital for illegal selection of 3,000 junior basic trained teachers.
While Mr. Chautala is out of jail on medical grounds, the Delhi High Court has directed him to surrender before the trial court on or before October 17 after he was spotted addressing a crowd at Jind in Haryana on Thursday without permission from the competent court.
