Chit Fund Sufferers Unity Forum demands return of Saradha depositors' money

An organisation of agents and depositors of chit funds-Chit Fund Sufferers Unity Forum (CFSUF) took out a protest march here on Thursday demanding immediate return of money to lakhs of depositors who had invested in Saradha, which went bust.

The protest march was taken out from College Square to Dharmatolla in the city who chanted slogans against Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal.

Showing sympathy with the protestor's demands, former Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) parliamentarian Sujan Chakraborty alleged that it was not only the chit-fund companies who had duped the depositors with lakhs of money, but also pointed fingers at the Trinamool Congress dispensation in West Bengal.

"Lakhs of people are suffering not only in Saradha, but in many other company's. And thereby the main demand is to pay back the cheated people. Because the cheat is ruling the state, cheat is not the chit-fund company's alone. But they are having the seat in Nabanna also and that is amply cleared everyday. So, two counts basically, one obviously they shall have to be punished basically and cheated people have to be given back their money," Chakraborty said.

Last week, the CBI had arrested West Bengal Transport and Sports Minister Madan Mitra in connection with the Saradha scam. Taking strong exception to Mitra's arrest, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had termed his arrest illegal and unconstitutional. Last month, TMC MP Srinjoy Bose had been arrested by the CBI in connection with the scam.

The Kolkata-based Saradha Group, ponzi scheme had over 10,000 registered chit funds across the country and with an aggregate turnover of Rs.30, 000 crore per annum.

The Saradha Group is said to have defrauded thousands of investors, including poor people, inWest Bengal, leading to the arrest of its owner Sudipta Sen.