Mukul Roy flies off to Delhi before facing CBI

Citing his party's need in the upcoming by-elections, Trinamool Congress general secretary Mukul Roy, who has been summoned by the CBI for questioning in the Saradha scam, left for New Delhi in the afternoon Thursday.

"I am the all India general secretary (of Trinamool). Everywhere there is a situation of by-election. I am going to sit (in) my office (in New Delhi)," Roy told media persons here before boarding the flight for the capital.

Roy, considered to be the right-hand man of his party's supremo Mamata Banerjee was previously asked by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to meet the agency over the multi-crore rupee Saradha ponzi scam.

On Tuesday, Roy had said in New Delhi that he will meet CBI officials and "cooperate with the inquiry" upon his return to Kolkata.

On returning to the city Wednesday, Roy said he will "establish contact with them (CBI) and tell them when I will go there. I will discuss (the issue) with my party leaders".

However, after the meeting with Chief Minister Banerjee, Roy asked for a fortnight before facing the CBI summons.

The CBI has granted the Rajya Sabha member a week's time to appear before it.

With many of its leaders being arrested and interrogated by the CBI in the scam, the Trinamool has appointed former CBI additional director and party legislator Upen Biswas as advisor on matters pertaining to the probe agency.

"He will provide us advice and assistance on all matters relating to the CBI," Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee had said.