Saradha chit fund scam: SC seeks response from telecom providers on CBI's plea

The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from two telecom service providers- Vodafone Mobile Services and Bharti Airtel Limited - on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) petition claiming that the two firms are not cooperating with the agency in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, issued a notice, returnable by April 8, to the two telecom companies.

The probe agency said it has been writing to the two service providers regarding call records of certain mobile phone numbers since last year. It also accused the two telecom service providers of being "surprisingly evasive in sharing the information."

"Till date, despite repeated requests of the applicant (CBI) and despite the specific direction of the Government of India, the service providers have not shared the information as sought...," read the plea by the CBI.

The Saradha Group financial scandal was a major scam caused by the collapse of a Ponzi scheme run by the conglomerate. The multi-crore-rupee chit fund scam allegedly involves several key leaders from the Trinamool Congress.