Rose Valley Chit Fund Scam: TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay remanded to six-day CBI custody

After TMC MP Sudip Bandopadhyay was arrested by CBI on Tuesday, he was presented at a Bhubaneswar court this afternoon, post a round of interrogation by CBI sleuths early on Wednesday. While CBI lawyers had asked for a 12-day custody of the TMC MP saying that they would need to question him on various issues and would have to question him face-to-face with Tapas Paul. The court, however, has given him a six-day custody till January 10 after hearing arguments of both sides today.

Sources said that at the court the CBI lawyer alleged that Bandyopadhyay had had closed door meetings with Rose Valley Group owner Goutam Kundu, they said that they have evidences to prove that Bandopadhyay, on a number of instances had given promotional speeches on behalf of the group, Bandyopadhyay had also been accused to go on a foreign trip sponsored by Kundu.

Bandopadhyay’s lawyer, however, refuted the charges saying that the CBI had no proof that the TMC MP was associated with any kind of promotion of Rose Valley Group or had had any closed door meeting with Kundu.

“It was countered that Bandopadhyay had paid Rs 5 lakh to the travel agent for the concerned Europe trip but CBI lawyers argued that the trip was upgraded to an 18-lakh one by the group,” said a source.

Bandopadhyay, at one point of time, requested the judge that he wanted to say something. After obtaining the permission of the judge, he said that he had paid Rs 5 lakh out of his own pocket for the foreign trip and had no idea if anyone else had paid anything else. He also said that he had been targeted by because he had led the movement against demonetisation at the Parliament been the most vocal against the Centre. He also said that he was the chairman of the Railway Standing Committee and had several meetings to chair in the near future. Those would be affected if he is not granted bail.

The judge, after hearing both sides, sent him for a CBI custody till January 10.

Back home, there was a statewide protest unleashed by the TMC against the arrest of Bandyopadhyay . TMC workers put up a demonstration outside the residence of BJP leader and minister Babul Supriyo on Kailash Ghosh Street in north Kolkata. Although he is in New Delhi at the moment, there is added police security at his Kolkata residence. Under the state TMC leadership’s instruction, there were protest programme at all the wards. Protesters led by MLA Paresh Pal had put up a Rail blockade at Kankurgachi. TMC workers also took out a protest procession at noth Kolkata’s Girish Park area. Rallies were also organised at the city’s Dhakuria, Garia, Esplanade and Bhawanipore areas.

Among other parts of the state, at Buxirhat and Bhanukumari areas of Coochbehar BJP offices were vandalised. Huge number of police personnel were pressed in to bring the situation under control.

At North 24 Parganas district’s BT Road near Titagarh Bazar TMC workers put up a protest and burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

NH-32 was blocked at Victoria School crossing in Purulia district leading to a massive logjam. Rail blockade was also put up at New Alipurduar station of Alipurduar district. Over 1000 TMC supporters led by 16 party councillors took out a protest rally at Canning in South 24 Parganas. A road blockade was put up at Andal in Burdwan district.

TMC MLAs and ministers also met governor Kesari Nath Tripathi and put in a complaint against the arrest of the party MPs. “It is evident about the time of arrest of the MPs. It is because Mamata Banerjee had been leading a movement against the Centre’s demonetisation policy that the BJP government has got back with political vendetta,” party secretary general Dr Partha Chatterjee said.