Saradha scam: TMC poll nominees Madan Mitra, Vivek Gupta depose before ED officials

Kolkata, March 19: TMC assembly poll candidates Madan Mitra and Vivek Gupta on Friday deposed before Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials here in connection with the probe into Saradha chit fund scam.

Mitra, who has been fielded by the party from Kamarhati assembly constituency, was, in the past, arrested by the CBI for his alleged involvement in the case, and later granted bail.

"I was asked by the ED to appear before its officials today. I will continue to cooperate with the investigation,"the former state minister said. Gupta, who is contesting the elections from Jorasanko seat, admitted that he knew Sudipto Sen, the owner of the blacklisted firm, and said he visited the ED office to submit income tax details.

The agency, probing the money-laundering aspect of the multi-crore Saradha scam, has also sent notices to former IPS officers Surajit Kar Purkayashtha and Rajat Majumdar.

Sources in the ED said both of them have been asked to depose before the agency officials next week. Majumdar, the former DGP of West Bengal, was earlier apprehended by the CBI in the chit fund case. The Calcutta High Court later granted him bail.

Purkayastha, currently the state security adviser in West Bengal, had apparently attended several meetings organised by the now-defunct company.

The Saradha group is said to have defrauded thousands of investors by means of fraudulent schemes floated by it. - PTI