Former union minister Matang Sinh arrested in Saradha scam

The CBI Saturday arrested former union minister Matang Sinh for his alleged complicity in the multi-crore rupee Saradha chit fund scam.

Sinh, who was minister of state for parliamentary affairs in the P.V. Narasimha Rao-led Congress government (1991-96), was arrested after being grilled for more than seven hours.

"Matang Sinh has been arrested in the Saradha realty case on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and misappropriation of funds. He will be presented before a court Sunday," said a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official.

Saradha Group chief and purported scam kingpin Sudipta Sen, now behind bars, in a letter to the CBI, had accused Sinh of cheating him of Rs.28 crore on the promise of a 50 percent stake in a media house owned by the ex-MP.

Sen had also accused Sinh's wife Manoranjana of duping him of Rs.25 crore in return for some shares in a TV channel owned by her.

The CBI had earlier grilled Manoranjana besides attaching Sinh's properties and raiding his offices and residences.

The Enforcement Directorate which too is probing the scam, had interrogated Sinh about his alleged links with Sen and the Saradha group.

The arrest of the former Congress MP from Assam comes a day after the CBI grilled Trinamool Congress general secretary and former railway minister Mukul Roy.

Probing the multi-crore rupee scandal that came to light in April 2013, the CBI has arrested a host of influential people including Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Srinjoy Bose, former IPS officer Rajat Majumdar, West Bengal Transport Minister Madan Mitra and Assamese singer Sadananda Gogoi.