CBI submits first charge-sheet in multi-crore Rose Valley scam

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday submitted the first charge-sheet in connection with the multi-crore scam of the Rose Valley Group at the court of Special Chief Judicial Magistrate in Bhubaneswar.

The charge-sheet contains name of Rose Valley Group chief Gautam Kundu, managing director Shibamoy Dutta and two directors of the group Ashok Kumar Saha and Ram Lal Goswami. Names of three companies of the group – Rose Valley Real Esatate and Constructions, Rose Valley Hotels and Entertainment and Real Estate and Land Bank Development Limited – are also in the charge-sheet. 

The people, whose names appeared in the charge-sheet, were booked under several sections of the Indian Penal Code on charges of criminal conspiracy (120B) and cheating (420). They were also booked under sections 4 and 6 of the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act. In the charge-sheet, the CBI has mentioned that the “further investigation” in this connection will continue. According to a CBI officer, supplementary chargesheets will also be submitted. 

It may be mentioned that both the central agencies – CBI and Enforcement Directorate – had initiated a probe in connection with the scam. The CBI had arrested Dutta and Saha while Ed had later arrested the chief of the group. 

The investigation in connection with the Rose valley group scam had initiated after the central agencies had started probing the scam of the Saradha Group. 

The investigation revealed that thousands of people had invested in Rose Valley group through various chit fund schemes. But the investigating officers had found that the money was collected by violating various norms of the Reserve Bank of India and Sebi. 

Kundu was arrested following interrogation. It was learnt that he had failed to give satisfactory answers during interrogation before his arrest.