CBI raids Pailan Group over Rs 520 cr ponzi scam

Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted raids at six different places in and around Kolkata, in connection with the chit fund case of the Pailan Group.

According to a spokesperson of the CBI, the group had collected around Rs 520 crore from the market through different chit fund scams, by assuring a high rate of interest.

It may be mentioned that the probe into the chit fund cases which are of mid-size compared to those of the Saradha Group and Rose Valley, have started gaining momentum only after the visit of the Special Director of CBI Rakesh Asthana to Kolkata a few weeks ago.

The Supreme Court had ordered a CBI probe into the chit fund cases of Saradha Group and other ponzi scams in May 2014.

Questions have been raised from many quarters over the delay in the progress of the probe against some chit fund companies, as four years have already passed after the investigation was ordered by the Apex Court and suspicion of compromise by some previous CBI officers has also not been ruled out.

Sources said that huge money transactions cannot be ruled out and the role of some old officers is also under the scanner.

The delay in the progress in the probe in these cases was also noted by Asthana. He had also found out that some companies were mysteriously not raided properly and proper investigation was also not carried out against the mid-size chit fund groups.

On Thursday, teams comprising officers of CBI conducted a raid in the house of the chief of Pailan Group, Apurba Saha, at Ballygunge. The search continued for a few hours, but the CBI officers are yet to get hold of Apurba.

The officers have also conducted raids at places including Sonarpur, Santoshpur and other offices of the group that also runs a school. CBI officers have conducted raids in this connection in Bankura as well.

During the search operation, the investigating officers have seized several incriminating documents.

The CBI officers are going through the documents to assess the money trail. They suspect that the head of the group, Apurba Saha, could be hiding in some other state.

Sources said that the name of a famous Tollywood actor has also cropped up for her involvement with the group. It may be mentioned that the name of the actor had also cropped up in connection with the Rose Valley case earlier.