Missing account book of Saradha a stumbling block for CBI?

NEW DELHI: CBI probe into the multi-crore Saradha scam has hit a stumbling block as the crucial account book of the Group remains untraceable with agency fearing that it has been intentionally removed in the garb of mob attack on its offices after the scam surfaced.

Senior CBI officials said here today that the account book carrying details of investment is still untraceable and the agency feels it could have been "intentionally" removed from the office.

The sources said involvement of West Bengal Police can also not be ruled out in removing the account book but the agency is probing all aspects of the crucial documents.

The state police had informed CBI that the book went missing after a mob attacked the offices of Saradha group after the news of scam broke out, they said.

The agency, however, believes that it was a planned way of removing a crucial piece of evidence as the public cannot access such a document.

Meanwhile, the agency has gathered some information from the laptops which have been recovered by it. The sources said another stumbling block is the information carried on servers which are based in the United States.

The sources said it has come to light that some information might have been removed from those servers.

They said the agency is examining all the records including the sale and purchases done by the group over the years which included purchase of a painting done by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.