Hearing on PILs seeking CBI probe in chit fund scam adjourned

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court today adjourned hearing of PILs seeking CBI investigation into the multi-crore chit fund scam till Wednesday.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Joymalyo Bagchi adjourned the hearing till next Wednesday after considering that four petitions had been filed seeking a CBI probe and that the state government had as per its earlier direction filed its affidavit in connection with the first petition.

The bench directed that the state might file a supplementary affidavit in the meanwhile on points raised in the other three applications seeking a CBI probe.

Appearing for the state, government pleader Asok Banerjee submitted that though the stand of the state would be the same for all the applications, it would study all the applications and submit a supplementary affidavit if necessary.

The state was also directed to serve copies of its affidavit, which was submitted today, to all the petitioners.

The court had on Friday last directed the West Bengal government to file an affidavit on its stand on the prayer for a CBI probe into the chit fund mess involving thousands of crores of rupees.

The scam was detected following the closure of several media houses run by Saradha Group which has defaulted on repayment to lakhs of investors.

Protests are being held by the investors and agents of the company in different parts of the state and there have been reports of vandalism in the chit fund company's offices and its other properties.

Saradha Group chairman Sudipto Sen, who had fled the state, was arrested from Sonamarg in Kashmir along with his close associate Debjani Mukherjee and another employee Arvind Singh Chauhan.