'Rebel' Trinamool MP quizzed in Saradha scam

A day after he raised the banner of revolt against the party leadership, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Kunal Ghosh was Saturday quizzed by police in connection with the multi-crore Saradha scam.

Though he did not link the summons from the Bidhannagar police commissionerate, which is probing the chit fund muddle, with his attack on the party leadership, Ghosh said a "conspiracy" has been hatched against him by those involved in the scandal.

"A conspiracy has been hatched against me by those who are involved in the scam. But who all are behind the conspiracy I can't say. I am ready to face any probe. I have full confidence in the police, the detective department and Mamata Banerjee," Ghosh told media persons after a four-hour grilling.

This is the second time that Ghosh has been questioned in relation to the scam. He was earlier summoned to the commissionerate April 29, days after the biggest financial scandal in West Bengal broke out.

Ghosh said he got a call Friday night from Bidhanagar deputy commissioner (detective department).

"I have come here in response to the phone call. I am prepared to fully cooperate with police. I had said earlier that I am prepared to come whenever they call me," he earlier said on arrival at the commissionerate.

Ghosh had Friday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Saradha scam where thousands of small-time depositors lost their life's savings by parking their hard-earned funds in the company's schemes lured by high interest rates.

Saradha Group boss Sudipta Sen and his aides are now behind bars after the company closed shop in April unable to pay back the depositors, triggering a spate of suicides by agents and investors and protests across the state.

Ghosh headed Saradha's media arm till April, and his name also figured in a letter written to the CBI by Sen April 6 accusing several high profile Trinamool Congress and Congress leaders of complicity in the scam.

He said he asked for the CBI probe after facing political attack with relation to the scam.

On Friday, at a blood donation camp, Ghosh had lambasted the party leadership alleging he was being made a victim of the Saradha controversy by those involved with the scam and apprehended he could be killed by those trying to hush up the issue.

"The burden of the Saradha scam has been put on my shoulders. Those involved are trying to hush it up by firing from my shoulders. But I won't let them do so," he said.

The Trinamool MP also questioned the honesty of the leadership, saying: "There is a limit to the image of honesty."

With party supremo and state chief chief minister Banerjee being regularly touted as a "symbol of honesty" in Trinamool posters and banners, there was no doubt who Ghosh's target was.

Ghosh, and two other actor-turned-MPs Satabdi Roy and Tapas Pal had shared the dais at the camp with rebel party legislator Shikha Mitra and her husband Somen Mitra.

Trinamool national general secretary Mukul Roy said the party's disciplinary committee has decided to show-cause Ghosh, Pal and Satabdi Roy for anti-party comments.

Ghosh claimed he was yet to receive any such letter from the party.

"When a big leader like Mukul Roy has said I will be show-caused, then definitely the party will send me a letter. I will reply once I receive the letter. But I know even the person who drafts the show-cause, will understand my pain," he said.