The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned the former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram’s wife for recording her statement in connection with the money laundering investigations into the Saradha Ponzi scam case.
The Directorate has asked senior lawyer Nalini Chidambaram to appear before the investigating team in Kolkata in the first week of September. Her name was mentioned in Saradha scam “mastermind” Sudipta Sen’s letter to the Central Bureau of Investigation in April 2013.
In the letter, the main accused said Ms. Chidambaram had prepared an agreement for co-accused Manoranjana Sinh and for legal consultancy services, she had received over Rs.1 crore in 18 months.
As part of the probe into the scam, the CBI had in September 2014 sought some clarifications from Ms. Chidambaram. She had then told the media that the CBI officers wanted to know whether Ms. Sinh consulted her professionally and that the senior lawyer confirmed that she had done so.
Based on the CBI case, the Directorate has been investigating into the money laundering allegations against main accused and his associates. The agency is gathering information on the flow of funds collected by the Saradha Group companies from investors.
The ED has been probing the payments made through Saradha Group accounts to several companies and individuals. While Rs.12 crore was allegedly paid to Sangbad Pratidin, Anubhuti Printers of former Congress Minister from Assam, Anjan Dutta, was allegedly paid Rs.7 crore. Matang Sinh’s companies had also received Rs.28 crore, according to the agency. His wife Manoranjana Sinh’s company GNN Limited allegedly got about Rs.26 crore.
The agency has also scrutinised the sale of Ratikanta Basu’s Broadcast Worldwide for Rs.19 crore. Names of Bollywood actor Mithun Chakraborty, who allegedly received Rs.2 crore; and famous painter Suvaprasanna, whose company Debkripa allegedly got Rs.6.5 crore, had also figured in the ED investigations.