CPIM, Congress demand CBI investigation into Sarada scam

Both the Opposition CPIM and Congress in West Bengal have demanded a CBI investigation into the multi-crore Sarada scam in which Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh is reportedly involved. Both the parties have reiterated their demand for a CBI investigation after Ghosh hinted that some heavyweight Trinamool Congress leaders were also involved in the scam and he (Ghosh) had been made a scapegoat to protect these powerful and influential leaders belonging to the ruling party.

Meanwhile, Ghosh on Saturday filed an FIR against the deputy commissioner of the detective department of Bidhan Nagara Police Commissionerate, Arnab Ghosh for "blackmailing" him. The suspended Trinamool Congress MP had rushed to Bidhan Nagar South police station to file the FIR against the detective department chief.

CPIM politburo member and state party secretary Biman Bose told reporters on Saturday that "Kunal Ghosh was one of the instruments and had been used in the scam that made lakhs of people poorer. The Sarada Group has siphoned off the poor people's money and Ghosh has hinted that a number of senior Trinamool Congress leaders were involved in the scam. Only a CBI investigation can reveal the truth and punish the real culprits who had cheated the poor people."

Railway minister of state and senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also demanded a CBI probe. " The chief minister of Assam has agreed to hand over the Sarada scam to the CBI. Why not our chief minister Mamata Banerjee is forwarding the case to the investigating agency?, asked Chowdhury.

In a related development, Ghosh told reporters on Saturday that he had written a letter to the Prime Minister over the Sarada scam issue. He claimed that the detective chief of Bidhan Nagar Police Commissionerate had threatened to arrest him. "I was co-operating with the police and all other agencies which are probing the Sarada scam. I had to visit the Commissionerate for at least ten times. Even today, I am going to face them again. But I don't understand who police was sent to my residence on Friday night. The detective department chief is threatening me," the suspended party MP told reporters on Saturday.