Demonstration against Sharada Group in Guwahati

GUWAHATI: Thousands of investors and employees of the collapsed chit-fund company Sharada Group today staged a demonstration here and demanded resignation of a state minister for his alleged involvement.

Holding banners and placards, the demonstrators blocked the road in front of the office of Kamrup (Metro) district Deputy Commissioner here demanding the resignation of state Health and Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his alleged involvement with the chit-fund company.

Shouting slogans under the leadership of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) president and RTI activist Akhil Gogoi, the demonstrators demanded a CBI probe into the scam which has duped thousands of investors of their money and caused hundreds of employees of the group's two dailies 'Seven Sisters Post' and 'Sakalbela' here to lose their jobs.

They also demanded the resignation and arrest of minister Sarma for allegedly taking money from the company and that the state government set up a relief fund in the lines of West Bengal government for the investors allegedly duped by them.

Meanwhile, Himanta Biswa Sarma has denied the allegations of Sharada Group's CMD Sudipta Sen made in his letter to the CBI hinting the minister had taken money from him.

"Yes I had met Sen about 18-19 months ago here when he had approached me to inaugurate his two newspapers here. Asking him to instead get an intellectual to inaugurate, I told him that I would, however, try to come to the inauguration meeting. But he never contacted me after that," Sarma said.

"I deny the allegation that I took Rs three crore as alleged by Sen. Which person in my office will take money or for that matter take that money by giving a receipt. I see a conspiracy here," he said.