Chit fund scams: CBI searches in 4 cities

Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday carried out searches in four cities, including Delhi and Mumbai, in connection with its probe in the Saradha and Seashore chit fund scams running into several crores of rupees.

The searches were being carried also at various places in Odhisa and Kolkata which included premises of some politicians as well, CBI sources said.

The CBI action came a day after the agency filed its second charge sheet in the case alleging that former director general (state armed police) and Trinamool Vice President Rajat Majumdar and East Bengal Club official Debabrata Sarkar were beneficiaries of the money collected through chit fund scam.

Others named in the charge sheet included Saradha chairman Sudipta Sen, executive director Debjani Mukherjee, a city-based businessman Sandhir Agarwal and his father Sajjan Agarwal, and Assam-based singer Sadananda Gogoi.

It also names four Saradha group companies Saradha Reality India Ltd, Saradha Tours and Travels Pvt. Ltd., Saradha Housing Pvt. Ltd and Saradha Garden Resorts and Hotel Pvt. Ltd.

Details about Tuesday's searches at various places are awaited.

Many political bigwigs of Odhisa have been questioned by the CBI in past for their alleged role in the Seashore chit fund scam which duped thousands in the state.

The probe into Seashore Group may cause embarrassment for the Naveen Patnaik government as it had entrusted the Group with the task of executing different projects on public-private-partnership mode.

Image: Sudipta Sen