Suspended Trinamool MP names those who can help in Saradha probe

Suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh, now behind bars in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam, has named several high-profile political leaders and police officers among others who "could help in revealing the truth" behind the biggest financial scam to hit West Bengal.

Appearing in a video shot before his arrest and broadcast by a Bengali TV news channel 24 Ghanta Tuesday, Ghosh gave details about Saradha's connection with those named by him as he explained how they could help in the investigation of the scam.

The sensational video showed Ghosh with a paper, in which he had seemingly jotted down names of those who he claimed were closely associated with Saradha promoter Sudipta Sen and asserted they were the people whom the investigators should approach.

Through the video (not in possession of IANS), Ghosh repeatedly claimed he was not making any accusations or trying to defame anybody as he went on making sensational allegations about leaders in the highest echelons of a prominent party.

"It is very painful to write down this name but what people believe, the facts are completely opposite and these facts are much more dangerous for people also which they have to realise after a few years," Ghosh said in the video, naming a high profile political leader.

Claiming that Saradha's media arm of which he was the head has been working as the Trinamool's mouthpiece and had to face the heat on showing even the slightest criticism, Ghosh wondered why the state government "did not bother" to inform the media employees despite the central government warning about the company.

"If government of India had written to the state government about Saradha and others, then why anybody did not inform us who are working in the media.

"The corporate affairs ministry in February this year had sent a letter to the state government informing irregularities about Saradha and a few others.

"Why wasn't the Saradha owner not questioned and why no action was taken despite the government having knowledge. Why weren't we warned against working in a company against which there were allegations?" Ghosh said in the video.

Claiming that he was being made a scapegoat, Ghosh said "on the insistence of a topmost leader, a lot of Durga Puja organising committees received lakhs of money".

"There were fund requisitions for some cause, why did they take help from Sen? Weren't other benefits taken with which the media arm had nothing to do? Everybody reaped the benefits, but when it came to the scam only Kunal Ghosh is guilty, how can that be?," claimed Ghosh.

Ghosh, who is currently in police custody after being accused of "conspiring with Sen in his misdeeds", went on to name current and former ministers, parliamentarians and retired government officials giving details how and what relations they shared with Sen and his company and asserted they can help the investigators.

Ghosh was arrested Saturday and remanded to police custody till Nov 28.