GUWAHATI, March 26 � The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today questioned Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Anjan Dutta in connection with the investigation of the Saradha cheat fund scam.
It was for the second time that Dutta faced questioning, as two newspapers of the Saradha group were published in the printing press owned by him.
Talking to The Assam Tribune over phone from Kolkata this evening, Dutta said that the CBI had sought some clarifications from him regarding the cheques issued by the Saradha group to Anubhuti Printers, a printing press owned by him. He said that he had decided to appear before the CBI officers personally to clarify the matters instead of sending replies through advocate.
Dutta said that there were some confusions as the name of the printing press and publishing houses were changed after he bought the same and the confusions were clarified to the CBI today. He said some of his signatures were also verified by CBI officials.
The APCC president revealed that as the Guwahati edition of the Times of India is also printed in his press, the CBI sought details of the rates, apparently to ascertain whether he had taken higher rates from the Saradha group.
Reacting to reports that he had named a senior journalist before the CBI, Dutta said, �I did not mention name of any journalist before the CBI. Only a few journalists asked me in front of the CBI office how Saradha group chief Sudipto Sen was introduced to me. I told them that a senior journalist Amal Gupta, who was the editor of Sakalbela, a Bengali paper owned by Saradha group, first came to me with the proposal to print the paper in my press and only later I met Sudipto Sen.�
Dutta also said that he welcomed the CBI probe and assured his full cooperation in the probe.