Ex-Tripura ministers to be quizzed by CBI in chit fund scam: Speaker

Tripura Speaker Rebati Mohan Das today said the CBI has informed him that it would quiz former ministers and CPI(M) MLAs Badal Choudhury, and Bijita Nath in connection with the multi-crore Rose Valley chit fund scam in the state.

Choudhury was the finance minister and Nath the social welfare minister in the previous Manik Sarkar government in the state.

In the run up to the Assembly polls, the BJP-Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) alliance had announced to hand over the investigation into the Rose Valley scam to CBI immediately after coming to power in the state in March this year.

"I received the letter yesterday from CBI Superintendent of Police Sudip Roy saying that the investigation agency will grill the two former ministers and requested me to inform them about it. I have already informed both of them," Das told PTI.

CBI sleuths will grill Nath tomorrow at her residence at Bagbasa in North Tripura district and Chowdhury at the MLA hostel here on Thursday, official sources said.

Nath and CPI(M) central committee member Goutam Das were grilled in connection with the scam in June last year.

Choudhury, who was in charge of the finance portfolio from 2004 to 2008, said that he has received a communication on the CBI quizzing.

"They (CBI) will speak to me at the MLA hostel here on Thursday. I am open to questions," he said.

According to sources, the probe agency has also sought to know details of Choudhury's private secretary, Sekhar Dutta, who served with him when he was the minister. Choudhury had been a minister for six terms since 1978 in the first Left Front government.

Nath said she is "prepared" to face questioning by the CBI.

Tripura Congress vice-president Tapas De welcomed the CBI probe and said the party had held a series of agitations demanding investigation by the central agency into the Rose Valley chit fund scam.

"Many CPI(M) leaders and ministers were involved (in the scam). Over 14 lakh people lost their money to Rose Valley. We are happy that CBI has agreed (to conduct the probe) at last," he said.

BJP spokesperson Mrinal Kanti Deb said, "We welcome it. People will get justice now."