Odisha seeks court-monitored CBI probe in chit-fund scam

Odisha government today sought court-monitored CBI investigation into the multi-crore chitfund scam, telling Supreme Court that the probe was not going on at the desired pace.
A bench comprising justices T S Thakur and Adarsh Kumar Goel said, "We have made clear to CBI that it will have to investigate the cases which have been transferred to it."
The court, while adjourning the hearing on a PIL filed by Alok Jena on the chit-fund scam in Odisha, asked Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, appearing for CBI, to file the response on the probe conducted so far.
The court also asked the ASG whether the probe agency was filing any plea seeking modification of May 9 order by which it was asked to take over entire investigation against firms, including Saradha, in chit fund scams in West Bengal, Odisha and Assam.

"Yes, they (CBI) are in the process," the ASG said today.
The CBI had earlier said that due to lack of manpower, it has been unable to take up probe in all chit-fund scam cases.

The apex court had on May 9 ordered CBI probe into chit fund scams in West Bengal, Odisha and Assam in which various companies, including Saradha, had allegedly duped investors of around Rs 10,000 crore, while taking note of allegations of scamsters getting "patronage" of people in "high positions".
Recently the apex court had declined to monitor the CBI probe into the multi-crore rupee Saradha scam.

Earlier, senior advocate Shyam Divan, who has been assisting the Supreme Court as an amicus curiae, had said that there was no progress in the CBI probe in the chit fund scam case in Odisha due to lack of manpower and infrastructure in the agency.
Only four-five CBI sleuths were conducting investigation against nearly 44 companies and their officials and the probe was "going nowhere" in Odisha, he had said.