Saradha scam: Madan Mitra remanded to CBI custody till December16

West Bengal minister Madan Mitra, who was arrested by CBI on Friday in connection with the Saradha scam, was remanded to four days of custody of the investigating agency till December 16.

Mitra, who was brought and produced before Alipur court CJM (in-charge) Kingshuk Sadhukhan, was ordered four days of CBI custody although the central agency prayed for seven days. Pleading on behalf of Mitra, counsel Ashok Mukherjee said that Mitra was a senior minister in the West Bengal cabinet and was not afraid of any CBI probe.

Mitra, he told the court, was arrested on the basis of a statement of a co-accused and there was no concrete evidence of his direct or indirect involvement in the Saradha scam. Seeking bail, he said the minister was under medication and had himself contacted CBI after his discharge from the hospital but was taken to custody without any reason.

Mitra told the court that he got a mail from CBI to appear before it on October 17 and he had assured cooperation. When he went to the CBI office on Friday 'everything was fine' and was offered a cup of tea by an officer at 4.30 pm who also said he would be leaving the premises shortly.

However, soon some other person came to him and told him he was under arrest as an order had come from Delhi. "This was unfortunate," Mitra told the court. Prosecution counsel said that further custodial stay of Mitra was required for investigation purposes. The court also ordered four days remand in CBI custody to legal consultant of Saradha group chief Naresh Balodia, who too was arrested on Friday.