Saradha promoter says 'happy' with scam probe

Days after submitting an affidavit in the court opposing a Central Bureau of Investigation probe, Saradha chit fund scam's suspected kingpin Sudipta Sen Saturday said he was happy with the course of the investigation being carried out by the West Bengal Police.

"I am happy, happy, happy," Sen - now behind bars - replied to journalists, as he was being taken to the court during the day. With the prosecution not seeking any further police custody of Sen and another senior company official Arvind Chauhan, by the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (Bidhannagar) A.H.M. Rahman remanded them to judicial custody till May 31.

Earlier this week, Sen had approached the court through the affidavit opposing probe by the central agency, and expressing faith in the state government's investigation.

Senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya Thursday raised the issue before a Calcutta High Court division bench hearing a public interest litigation demanding a CBI probe in the scam.

"When a Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the state government is probing the matter, there is no need for a probe by the CBI," Sen was quoted as saying in the affidavit by Bhattacharya, one of the advocates pleading for the PIL, in the court.

The Saradha boss has also asked that all the first information reports lodged against him be compiled and SIT should probe the matter under the supervision of Justice Shyamal Sen Commission - constituted by Banerjee following the scam.

"Why is an accused speaking so vociferously against an investigation agency?" Bhattacharya had then argued before the court while emphasising on the need for a central agency to probe the scam.

Sen also claimed that he never had any links with the Mamata Banerjee regime of West Bengal.

However, prior to his arrest April 23, Sen had written to the CBI naming among others, two Trinamool MPs, who, he alleged, had of fleeced, coerced and blackmailed him.

During his previous production date - May 9 - Sen had told the media he would reveal everything once the probe was over.

"I will reveal everything once the investigation is complete," Sen had told reporters while coming out of the court, when asked about involvement of political leaders in the scam.

The scam came to light after the Group collapsed, unable to repay lakhs of depositors - most of them poor people from villages and small towns - who had parked their hard earned money with its companies, lured by promise of huge returns.

There has been unrest in the state ever since the scam became public, with more than a dozen agents and depositors of the Group and similar chit fund companies committingsuicide. Depositors and agents have also attacked and ransacked offices of ponzi firms and beaten up their employees.