Bengal issues tender to sell Saradha properties

The West Bengal government has issued a global tender to value the seized assets and properties of the scam-tainted Saradha Group in West Bengal and other states, a government counsel Monday told the Calcutta High Court.

During the hearing of a public interest litigation seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Saradha Group scam, government pleader Ashok Banerjee said 208 different properties of the group in the state have been seized and around 180 other properties are located in other states.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier said that the government will try to indemnify the duped investors of the company by selling the properties of the company.

Meanwhile, a division bench of Justice A.K. Banerjee and Justice M.K. Chaudhuri asked the amicus curiae (friend of the court) whether a committee consisting of experts from different fields be set up to look into all aspects of the case, including the return of money to the investors.

The amicus curiae appointed by the court to assist it is slated to inform the court about his views Tuesday when the matter comes up for hearing next.

Appearing for the state, Banerjee opposed the prayer for a CBI probe, and stated that the state investigating agencies were doing a good job and that they should be given adequate time.

Citing eight different cases in the state, including the theft of Noble Prize medallion of Rabindranath Tagore from Visva Bharati University at Santiniketan which the CBI has been investigating, Banerjee said no significant progress has been made in the investigation in these cases.