GUWAHATI, Nov 24 � Former Minister and Congress legislator Anjan Dutta was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at its Kolkata office today in connection with the investigation into the Saradha chit fund scam.
Dutta told this reporter that he was questioned for about an hour by the CBI over his business transactions with Saradha, which used his printing press for publishing one of its newspapers.
�Saradha still owes me Rs 57 lakh in this connection, and the CBI officials verified the papers and documents concerning my transactions with Saradha,� Dutta said. He said the newspaper that the Saradha Group had published, was printed in the printing press owned by him and the group failed to clear the dues.
Dutta further said that the Saradha Group chief had given him a cheque of Rs 3.50 crore for buying his printing press, but the deal did not materialise as the cheque bounced. He said the CBI officials sought clarification on the issue today. He said he would cooperate with the investigation and, �I also requested the CBI to help me in getting my dues.�
It may be mentioned that the CBI had earlier raided the residence of Dutta and checked the documents relating to his business dealings with the Saradha Group.
The CBI has also summoned former Minister and legislator Himanta Biswa Sarma to appear before the investigating officers of the Bureau by November 26, but it is still not known as to when he would go to Kolkata. The allegation against Sarma is that singer Sadananda Gogoi, who was arrested by the CBI in connection with the Saradha scam, had introduced Saradha Group chief Sudipto Sen to Sarma and he had taken �protection money� from the company. The CBI has raided the residence of Sarma and the office of a TV channel owned by his wife in this connection.
