Ponzi scams: SC asks Bengal police chief, CBI director to discuss matter

The Supreme Court on Monday asked West Bengal's police chief to sit with the CBI director to determine the police personnel required by the investigating agency for continuing with its investigation into Saradha and non-Saradha chit fund scam cases.

A bench of Justice T.S.Thakur and Justice C. Nagappan, while directing the meeting between the state director general of police with the Central Bureau of Investigation's director and joint director (investigation) to decide on the police personnel that can be made available to the agency without affecting the requirements of maintaining law and order in the state.

The court order came after senior counsel L. Nageswara Rao told that court that the West Bengal government had no objection in making available some its officers and police personnel to assist the CBI in the investigation but the state too had its constraints.

The apex court on July 20 had sought West Bengal government's response to CBI's plea for the support of state police in conducting investigations into Saradha and non-Saradha chit fund scam cases coupled with three designated special courts to try these cases.

In the meanwhile, the apex court on Monday issued notice to Assam government and its police chief on a CBI plea challenging the Gauhati High Court order directing it to take over the investigation of 481 cases concerning 221 companies.

Appearing for the investigating agency, Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar told the court that it was not possible for it to take over the investigation of such a large number of cases.

He said when the CBI took over the investigation in pursuance to the court's order, it got 15 FIRs and so far it has registered four regular cases - two relating to Saradha and two relating to non-Saradha chit fund scam cases.A

The court told the CBI that "We will step in" as it was told that in last nine months no progress has been made in cases in Odisha. It asked Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh that "when you come here you must have the outline of cases investigated and arrests made".