Rose Valley scam: CBI questions former CPI(M) leader

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday interrogated the former CPI(M) MP Lakshman Seth in connection with the multi-crore chit fund scam of the Rose Valley group.

Sources said that he was interrogated for around an hour after he entered the office of the Central investigation agency at Salt Lake on Tuesday. He entered the CBI’s office at around 2 pm on Tuesday.

Sources said that the name of the former CPI(M) leader from Haldia has cropped up in the chit-fund scam as he had sold a plot of land to the chief of the Rose Valley group Gautam Kundu at a premium. 

It is learnt that he had bought the plot many years ago at something around Rs 45 lakh. The property was sold to the Rose Valley group at around Rs 22.5 crore.

The investigating officers has come to know about the deal after going through the bank account details of the group and after interrogating some of its senior officials. Subsequently, Seth was summoned and was also asked to bring some documents related to the selling of the land.

It is learnt that Seth on Tuesday submitted some of the documents which were asked for by the investigating officers. 

He was questioned for a few minutes after he handed over the documents and he left CGO complex that houses the CBI’s office at around 3 pm. 

The officers are looking into the legal aspects of the selling of the plot. 

The officers are also trying to find out what the group had planned to set up on the plot. 

They are also trying to find out whether Kundu had chalked out a plan to start a project in collaboration with any political leader.

A CBI officer said that he may be summoned again if they find it necessary after going through the documents properly.

According to political analysts, the selling out of the plot to the Rose Valley group would once drag Seth to a trouble.

It may be mentioned that Seth, who was once known as the CPI(M)’s strongman from Haldia, was earlier arrested on March 18, 2012 from Mumbai by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for his alleged involvement in the murder of Trinamool Congress supporters and burying their bodies at Benachapra.

Another CPI(M) leader Rabin Deb was also summoned earlier by the CBI in connection with the Saradha Group chit fund case.