Rose Valley owner's wife quizzed on her 'proximity' to ED official

Kolkata police quizzed the wife of scam-accused Rose Valley Chit Fund owner Gautam Kundu on Wednesday, in connection with her alleged closeness to an Enforcement Directorate official in charge of investigating the financial scandal.

Kolkata police personnel went to Subhra Kundu's residence during the day and interrogated her for several hours regarding her alleged relationship with ED assistant director Manoj Kumar.

"If needed, we will talk to her again," said a Kolkata police officer.

Some television channels have been beaming footage since Monday night purportedly showing Kumar and the woman together at the Kolkata airport and at a hotel said to be in New Delhi. Some channels have claimed that the videos were released by the police, but the latter did not confirm it when IANS posed the question.

IANS has not verified the footage.

Kumar, who has reportedly been placed under suspension and removed from the Rose Valley probe, however, termed the accusations as part of a "larger conspiracy" to remove him from the investigation into the scam.

"This is a larger conspiracy to eject me out of the case. I don't want to comment... political victim or a victim of cross fire by the Kolkata police for the reason best known to them," the Enforcement Directorate officer said on Tuesday.

Kumar has said he went to Delhi for official work related to the investigation.

"I went there on my own to file the complaint of attachment. She came for her own work," he told media persons.

Terming the woman as a "great help in the investigation", the officer said he was able to trace the huge property of Rose Valley with her help.

"She has been a great help in the investigation and with her help I was able to attach the property worth of Rs 16,000 crore," he said.

Kumar also claimed that he is being victimised because through his investigation, ED is about to attach more property and tag more people in relation to the scam.

IANS could not reach Subhra Kundu for her comments.