Saradha scam: CBI names WB minister Madan Mitra in supplementary chargesheet

Apart from Mitra, the chargesheet has been filed against Srinjoy Bose, Kunal Ghosh and Naresh Balodia also

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday named West Bengal Transport Minister Madan Mitra, along with former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha members Kunal Ghosh and Srinjoy Bose and Saradha promoter Sudipta Sen’s lawyer Naresh Bhalotia, in a supplementary chargesheet filed in a court here in the Saradha Realty case.

According to sources, the companies named in the supplementary chargesheet are Srinjoy Bose-controlled media arm Pratidin Television Private Ltd and Saradha group company Bengal Media Private Ltd.

The accused have been booked under several sections of Indian Penal Code amounting to cheating, criminal conspiracy and other sections of the Prize Chit and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act of 1978.  Srinjoy Bose has recently got bail from an Alipore court, while the rest are lodged in a jail. On the other hand, Madan Mitra, now under judicial custody, has moved a bail petition in the Calcutta High Court, the hearing of which is yet to take place.

The first chargesheet in the Saradha Realty case named former state police chief and TMC leader Rajat Majumder, Assamese singer Sadananda Gogoi and East Bengal club official Debabrata Sarkar along with prime accused Sudipta Sen and Debjani Mukherjee.

Earlier, the CBI had filed another chargesheet related to Saradha Tours and Travels case, naming Sen, Mukherjee and Ghosh. Incidentally, while Sen, Mukherjee and Ghosh were arrested by the state police before the CBI took over the investigation, others named in Wednesday’s chargesheet was arrested by the investigation agency. On May 9 last year, a division bench of the Supreme Court directed the CBI to launch a probe into the operations of the deposit-taking firms of West Bengal and Odisha, including Saradha.  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had opposed the probe.

People chargesheeted by CBI so far in Saradha scam:

Chargesheet in Saradha Tours and Travels case:

* Sudipta Sen, promoter, Saradha group

* Debjani Mukherjee, key-aide of Sudipta Sen

* Kunal Ghosh, former TMC MP, CEO of Saradha's media wing

Chargesheet in Saradha Realty case:

* Sudipta Sen, promoter, Saradha group

* Debjani Mukherjee, key-aide of Sudipta Sen

* Debabrata Sarkar, East Bengal club official

* Rajat Majumder, TMC leader and former West Bengal police chief

* Sandhir Agawrwal, businessman

* Sajjan Agarwal, businessman and father of Sandhir Agawrwal

* Sadananda Gogoi, Assamese singer

 Supplementary chargesheet in Saradha Realty case:

* Madan Mitra, West Bengal transport and sports minister

* Kunal Ghosh, former TMC MP, CEO of Saradha's media wing

* Rajat Majumder, TMC leader and former West Bengal police chief

* Naresh Bhalotia, Sudipta Sen's lawyer