Supporting Saradha Group a mistake: Congress leader

Kolkata, April 27 (IANS) Congress leader and unionMinister of State for Health Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury, who had earlier batted for the tainted Saradha Group, Saturday admitted it was mistake.

"After what has happened and with poor investors left in the lurch, it seems it was surely a mistake," said Choudhury, referring to his letter to Manmohan Singh where he had claimed that the company was "not into any Ponzi scheme, chit fund, microfinancing or NBFC business and may, therefore, be kept out of the purview of Reserve Bank of India".

Choudhury was the first to draw Singh's attention to the mushrooming Ponzi schemes in West Bengal and urged him to take appropriate action against such firms.

Contradicting his Sep 2011 letter to Singh, Choudhury in March 2012 had written to the prime minister again saying: "The company (Saradha) is conducting a prosperous and successful realty business in West Bengal with some investment in the media and health sectors," urging to withdraw his earlier complaint against the tainted group.

The Malda South MP, who has come under severe attack by the state's ruling Trinamool Congress, demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation CBI) probe into the current chit fund fiasco and said: "I am ready to face any investigation, including by the CBI."

Meanwhile, yet another Saradha agent committed suicide in the wake of the chit fund company going bust.

The agent, Swapan Kumar Biswas, had deposited over Rs.4 lakh with the group. He was found hanging at his home in Purulia district Friday night.

His family claimed that the deceased was suffering from depression after the scam ridden Saradha Group went bust.

Ever since the scam exploded, there have been wide spread protests across the state with reports of a few agents and investors taking their lives.