CBI files second chargesheet in chit fund case

Chargesheet filed against AT Group and its subsidiaries

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today filed preliminary charge sheet against Artha Tatwa (AT) Group and its subsidiary companies for raising around Rs 200 crore from public unauthorisedly.

CBI special prosecutor and its investigating officer today submitted the charge sheet, which included names of Pradeep Sethi, AT Group chairman and 15 other accused.

The investigating agency has already arrested close to 20 persons including Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Pravat Tripathy during its probe into the money trail of AT Group, a key player in the chit fund scam.

CBI has alleged that the AT Group got its operational licence from the government quickly after applying for it, and hence has charged some politicians and former advocate general for legitimising its unauthorised business. The central agency has also arrested owners of some media houses, real estate developers and stock brokers on their links with the tainted firm.

The chargesheet also names four subsidiaries of the firm--Artha Tatwa Infra India Ltd, Artha Tatwa Enterprises, Artha Tatwa Multi Purpose Credit Cooperative Society Ltd and Artha Tatwa Multi-State Credit Cooperative Society along with two other firms funded by it - Kamyab Television Private Ltd and Tilakraj Publications.

These companies will face charges under Sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy) , 411, 471, 409 and 468 of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act, 1978.

Last year, the Crime branch division of state police had filed chargesheets against AT Group in three phases and named seven officials of the firm in the cases. However, after CBI took over the investigations since May this year, several other government officials have come under the scanner for their association with the firm.

Earlier this month, the CBI had filed its first chargesheet in chit fund cases against a firm named Green India, accused of illegally raising Rs 30 crore from public. The CBI is investigating the money trail of 44 unscrupulous chit fund players in the state.