December 15, 2024 15:24 (IST)
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SC turns down TMC's plea for monitoring Saradha probe
New Delhi, Feb 5 (IBNS) Dealing a severe blow to the ruling Trinamool Congress of West Bengal, the Supreme Court on Thursday turned down the state government's request for monitoring the probe into Saradha and non-Saradha chit fund scam cases by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
While ruling that there was "no room" for the court to keep an eye on CBI, a Supreme Court bench of Justice TS Thakur also dismissed the West Bengal government's complaint against CBI "plants" in media on Saradha arrests, saying there is no such proof.
The development came on the same day Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Srinjoy Bose, an accused in the Saradha scam, resigned from the party as well as the upper house.
The CBI told the Court that its probe has revealed that the Saradha scam has ballooned from Rs.15,000 crore and 1 lakh victim investors to 18 lakh affected investors and scam involving Rs. 2400 crore.
SC also rejected the allegations of West Bengal government and TMC that CBI has been selectively leaking information about probe to the media.
Refusing to entertain contempt plea filed against West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and a minister for allegedly preventing CBI from carrying its probe, the Apex Court allowed prosecution of 193 non-Saradha cases in which charge sheet has been filed by the state police.
Mamata Banerjee had alleged that the BJP was using the Saradha scam out of a 'political vendetta' against her party.
The Saradha Group that operated a Ponzi scheme offering massive returns collapsed last year, leaving lakhs of small investors bankrupt in West Bengal and Odisha.
Following subsequent investigations, Trinamool Rajya Sabha members Kunal Ghosh and Srinjoy Bose, state transport minister Madan Mitra and former director general of police Rajat Majumder, who later turned into a TMC functrionary, were arrested for their alleged complicity in the scam.
Party's all India general secretary and second-in-command Mukhul Roy was also questioned by the central agency while few other leaders are also reported under the CBI scanner.
Kunal Ghosh, who was put under suspension by the Trinamool for 'anti party activities' , alleged that Mamata Banerjee was the 'biggest beneficiary' of the Saradha scam. Asif Khan, a former Trinamool leader, who made almost prophetic predictions about the arrest of Bose and Mitra, also raised a similar allegation to the discomfiture of the party.
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