The special investigation team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the Saradha scam filed a supplementary charge sheet before a city court here on Wednesday against Sports and Transport Minister Madan Mitra and former Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Srinjoy Bose. Mr Bose was recently released on bail.
Others named in the charge sheet are suspended TMC MP Kunal Ghosh and Naresh Bhalotia, legal counsel for Saradha Group’s chairman and managing director Sudipta Sen.
“The accused have been charged under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating) and 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 4 and 6 of Prize Chits & Money Circulation (Banning) Act, 1978,” a CBI official told The Hindu.
The charge sheet was filed before the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Alipore, within 65 days of Mr Mitra’s arrest. This comes at a time when there was speculation whether the agency will be able to file charge sheet against the Minister within 90 days. The maximum detention period under Section 406 of IPC without filing of charge sheet is 90 days.
Three media companies, Sangbad Pratidin, the Bengali newspaper owned by Srinjoy Bose, Bengal Media, the media arm of Sudipto Sen’s Saradha Group, and Strategy Media, run by Kunal Ghosh, have also been named in the supplementary charge sheet.
In a related development, the CBI approached the Calcutta High Court seeking hearing on a petition challenging the bail granted to Srinjoy Bose. The Court directed the CBI to file an affidavit. The hearing will be held on March 3.
The CBI had filed two charge sheets in connection with the case earlier.
This is the first time that a Minister in the Trinamool Congress government has been named in a charge sheet. Except Mr Bose, all the accused in the supplementary charge sheet are behind bars.
Meanwhile, Enforcement Directorate another Central agency probing the scam, questioned Khyati Sardana, a close aide of former Union Minister Matang Sinh, who was recently arrested by the CBI in connection with the scam.
