Have sought logistical support for Saradha scam probe: CBI

Agency chief denies reports of demands made by CBI for SUVs to assist in probe

With CBI set to register the first set of cases in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam this week, the agency today said the West Bengal government has been asked to provide to its team logistical support which as expected to be given soon.

CBI Director Ranjit Sinha, who has been personally monitoring the developments of the case, said, "We have taken up the investigation in the right earnest as per directions of the Supreme Court."

The apex court had last month handed over the case to CBI and asked the state governments to provide all logistical help to the CBI team probing the matter.

Denying media reports about demands made by CBI for SUVs and other things, Sinha said, "We have sought the assistance of the state government in terms of logistical support.

"The media has been wrongly informed that exaggerated demands have been made."

The CBI, which formed a Special Investigating Team (SIT) headed by a Joint Director, had approached West Bengal government with a request for meeting minimal requirements which included six vehicles and space for setting up a camp office.

Besides, the six vehicles with drivers, two landline phones with STD and Internet facilities, two photocopier machines and one fax machine, six desktop computers with printers and scanner, six laptops, eight mobile phones with SIM cards and eight almirahs for keeping documents have been sought from the state government.

While even these demands had not been met so far by the state government, the CBI director was hopeful that it would be fulfilling these basic requirements at the earliest.

He said the focus of CBI was to expose the conspiracy behind the alleged scam.