Attacking Trinamool Congress for opposing CBI investigation into Saradha scam, Left parties today welcomed the Supreme Court directions for such a probe and demanded that the agency should uncover the "political nexus" behind the swindling of funds and associated money laundering.
Maintaining that the ponzy scam had affected thousands of depositors in four states, CPI(M) Politburo said "the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal has been doggedly opposing investigation by the CBI in the matter." "The CBI probe should be able to uncover the political nexus behind this large-scale swindling of funds and the money laundering involved," it said. The CPI(M) also demanded immediate confiscation of all assets of the Saradha group of companies and the owners and payment of interim compensation to all depositors.
In another statement, the CPI said the blocking of a CBI probe by the Trinamool government was "obviously motivated with the intention of protecting her own party people who are alleged to be involved."
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Observing that the scam had affected several lakhs of poor people in West Bengal, Assam, Odisha and Jharkhand, CPI Central Secretariat said "by its very nature, CBI was the appropriate agency to investigate the fraud perpetrated," but TMC government had blocked the reference of the case to CBI. "The Supreme Court has therefore done well in the matter referring the whole case to CBI," it said.
CPI(M)'s West Bengal secretary Biman Bose said his party had been voicing the demand for a CBI inquiry ever since the scandal surfaced and expressed happiness over the apex court order.
Bose made some suggestions, saying "there should be an investigation based on the footage where it was shown that certain leaders were doing publicity for Saradha. The investigation should also be conducted into the close relationship between the Trinamool Congress and Saradha chit fund company." Bose also demanded that CBI look into the "sluggish" way the SIT, formed by the state government, had proceeded in its probe into the money trail. Asked about the allegation levelled by the TMC that chit funds had mushroomed during Left Front regime, Bose said, "These things don't work anymore.
