Law abiders should cooperate with CBI probe: Mukul Roy

Amid speculations that Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Paul might be called for quizzing by the CBI for his alleged links with a ponzi firm, sidelined party leader Mukul Roy on Saturday insisted that all law abiding citizens have an obligation to cooperate in such a probe.

Roy, who was earlier quizzed by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the multi-crore-rupee Saradha scam, also called for indemnifying the investors who were ruined by the scandal that came to light in April 2013.

"While there should be efforts to indemnify the investors, I feel if any law abiding citizen is called for the sake of inquiry, in the interest of the probe he should cooperate," said Roy when asked to comment about Paul whose Kolkata residence was raided by the CBI on Wednesday.

Paul's house was one of the 43 locations of the Rose Valley Group that was searched by the CBI as a part of its probe into a chit fund scam.

Accused of raising money from the public through unapproved investment scheme, the Rose Valley has been under the scanner of various central agencies including market regulator SEBI, the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

A former director of the group's films division, Paul has virtually aped Roy in professing cooperation with the central agency if he was summoned.

Incidentally, Roy - once considered West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's right hand man - was gradually sidelined from the party and even stripped of the position of national general secretary, when he went against the party stand to promise cooperation with the CBI.

The Trinamool, with several of its leaders including state Transport Minister Madan Mitra under arrest and interrogation, has been going hammer and tongs against the CBI dubbing it a "political tool" in the hands of the BJP which is in power at the centre.

The state's ruling party even had moved the Supreme Court against the CBI probe, but its petition was rejected.

Roy - often hailed as the architect of the Trinamool's electoral successes - said it was up to the party to decide about his role in the upcoming municipal polls.

"I am still a Trinamool MP and it is up to the party how they want to utilise my services. It isn't proper that I stay away from the polls despite being a politician. Let us see what is in store," said Roy.