SC asks CBI to probe Saradha, Mamata govt welcomes move

According to the state finance and industries minister, Amit Mitra, the judgment has  praised the working of the Special Investigating Team (SIT), formed by the state government, to probe the scam. ‘We welcome the judgment because we believe in the Constitution even though it comes just a few days ahead of the final phase of elections on the state,’ he said at a press conference at Nabanna (the state secretariat).

Mitra even had a pat on the back for the SIT’s role. ‘I have been told that the Supreme Court has praised the SIT’s functioning into the Saradha scam. I am yet to get the actual copy of the order’, he said.

Mitra also put the onus of the Saradha scam on the Centre and the Left Front. He said that the Trinamool Congress had been ‘extremely active’ in passing a bill seeking to curb deposit-taking companies and similar money collection schemes in the state. Similarly, steps had also outlined in the bill to protect depositors’ funds parked with these ponzi operators. However, the bill is still pending approval from the Centre.

‘We made all the necessary changes that the Centre asked us to do. Even then the bill is pending Presidential assent,’ he said adding that it was now the job of the Centre to redress those duped by ponzi operators.

According to Mitra, the Saradha group started operations in 2006 when the Left Front was in power. Hence, the Left Front was hand-in-glove with them, he accused.

The SC was hearing two PILs – one filed by advocates Pratim Kumar Singha Ray and Abu Abbasuddin, and another by advocate Subrata Chattoraj, seeking a CBI enquiry into the scam. 

The TMC government had earlier alleged ‘political motivation’ behind the demand.

The state government has been under pressure as some TMC leaders have come under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently for their alleged links with Saradha.