Do not politicise CBI's ponzi scam probe, Kunal urges parties

Former Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh, an accused in the Saradha chit fund cases, Monday urged political parties not to politicise the CBI probe into the ponzi scam.

In a Facebook post on Monday morning, Ghosh also said the CBI should have questioned Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar long ago.

Ghosh, along with Kumar, is presently in Shillong for questioning by the CBI in the Saradha chit fund scam.

"I request all political parties not to politicise the matter. The steps that are being taken now for the sake of investigation should have been taken long back - during the time of investigation by the SIT set up by the West Bengal government. Unfortunately, it did not happen. However, better late than never," he wrote.

As far as the investigation is concerned, Ghosh said, a lot of precious time has been lost as neither the CBI nor the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has not taken these steps earlier.

"Neither the CBI nor any other investigating agency is above criticism. But it will not be wise to bring up those issues and create hurdles in the path of investigation of such a huge scam. The CBI should be allowed to perform its duty," Ghosh said in the post.

In an apparent hint to Rajeev Kumar, Ghosh said whoever now comes for questioning before the CBI should fight it alone and refrain from taking any help from the state government in his case.

His comments comes in the backdrop of TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's dharna in Kolkata last week in protest against the central government over the CBI's failed bid to question Kumar in chit fund cases.

Ghosh was arrested by the SIT in November 2013 when he was a Rajya Sabha MP of the TMC. He was granted bail in 2016.

When contacted, Ghosh said he will cooperate with the investigation and wants the truth to come out.

"I have always cooperated with the investigation and this time too I will extend my full cooperation," Ghosh told PTI before entering the CBI office in Shillong.

He would be questioned for the second consecutive day on Monday.