Trinamool MP Kunal Ghosh arrested in Saradha scam

Suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh was Saturday arrested in connection with the Saradha Group chit fund scam, police said.

"Kunal Ghosh was arrested today. He is now in our custody," Bidhannagar Commissionerate's Deputy Commissioner (Detective Department) Arnab Ghosh told reporters here.

"In the investigation carried out so far, we have got proof that he was a part of the conspiracy along with (Saradha group head) Sudipta Sen and others," he said.

The DC said Ghosh was arrested for several offences under sections 420 (cheating), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code.

The journalist-turned-politician, who was group CEO of Saradha Media, got nabbed in pursuance of a case filed by a general manager of Broadcast Worldwide - a part of the Saradha media empire.

The arrest came hours after the Rajya Sabha member filed anFIR against Arnab Ghosh alleging he was being blackmailed and compelled to give a statement in the scam.

During the day, Kunal Ghosh had also written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the scandal.

A day ago, he had alleged that the media arm of the Saradha Group had been set up with the motto to promote West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as the country's next prime minister.

"One of Saradha media group's main goals was to create additional media wings so that Bengal's voice would go across the country. Sudipto Sen (Saradha's promoter) had told the chief minister that she would be the next prime minister and he would set up his media house (Saradha's media wing) to facilitate that," Ghosh had told reporters here.