Saradha scam: Enforcement Directorate interrogates Trinamool Congress leader Shankudeb Panda

KOLKATA: The Enforcement Directorate ( ED) on Monday interrogated a close aide of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool Congress leader Shankudeb Panda, in connection with its probe into the Saradha deposit-taking scam.

ED wanted to know from Panda why he used to get money from Saradha group owner Sudipta Sen and in what capacity he used to get financial benefits from some companies owned by another Trinamool Congress MP, Srinjoy Bose, who was also arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the scam, officials said.

Panda was supposed to appear before the ED on Tuesday but he made himself available before the investigating officials on Monday morning and his statement was recorded, an ED official said on condition of anonymity.

Before joining Trinamool Congress, Panda used to work with a television news channel in Kolkata. He was the president of Trinamool Congress’ students’ wing Chhatra Parishad, but Mamata Banerjee removed him from the post a few months ago and made him a general secretary of the organisation. Last Tuesday, a team of ED officials went to the party headquarters Trinamool Bhavan to meet Panda and hand him over the notice to appear before the agency.