Bengal ex-minister's aide questioned in chit fund scam

Police Wednesday quizzed an aide of a prominent minister of the erstwhile Left Front government of West Bengal, as also an official of a state-run corporation during the Left regime, in the Saradha chit fund case.

Ganesh Dey, a personal assistant to former finance minister Asim Dasgupta, and Anjan Bhattacharya, who served as public relations officer of the West Bengal Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBHIDCO) during the Left Front rule, were summoned by the Bidhannagar police commissionerate probing the multi-crore scandal.

The two men were questioned for over an hour Wednesday evening.

Police sources said their names emerged from the interrogation of Saradha Group chairman and managing director Sudipta Sen, now in the custody of the Bidhannagar police commissionerate.

The collapse of the group has already resulted in four agents and depositors committing suicide, while its offices have been attacked and ransacked by angry depositors.

The ruling Trinamool Congress is in a spot over allegations of the links of its leaders - including MPs and a minister - with the chit fund group.

Nearly two weeks ago, the Saradha Group companies went bust and downed shutters across the state, unable to repay lakhs of depositors who had parked hard-earned funds with the group, lured by the promise of high returns.