CBI registers 46 cases in Saradha chit fund scam

CBI today registered a record number of 46 cases in a day in connection with its probe in the Rs 10,000-crore Saradha chit fund scam naming Trinamool Congress' sitting Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh as one of the accused. After registering three fresh cases in West Bengal and 42 cases taken over from Odisha Police which was probing the case, CBI spokesperson said the larger conspiracy angle, including the role of regulatory authorities and money trail in this scam, will also come under the scanner during investigation.

CBI sources said role of regulatory bodies like Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI), RBI and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs will be examined as per the orders of the Supreme Court which had directed the agency to probe the case. In its three FIRs pertaining to cases in West Bengal, CBI has registered cases against Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Saradha group Sudipta Sen, the then Director Saradha Realty Debjani Mukherjee, the CEO Saradha Media Kunal Ghosh, also a TMC MP, the then Senior Vice President Saradha Media Somnath Dutta, the then Director of Saradha Realty Manoj Naghel and an employee of Saradha Group of Companies Aurobindo Chauhan.

Ghosh did not respond to messages and calls sent to seek his reaction. "These FIRs cover the four front-runner companies of the said Group. Other documents relating to the said Group are being scrutinized for further course of action. The documents of certain companies other than the said group of companies are in the process of collection as well as scrutiny," CBI spokesperson Kanchan Prasad said here today.
The agency has registered the cases for alleged criminal breach of trust, cheating and criminal conspiracy among others.