'Bengal CID forcing accused to name BJP, CPI-M leaders as Saradha scam beneficiaries', CBI gets complaint

Kolkata, Sep 8 The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has received a complaint from the mother of an accused in the multi- crore Saradha chit fund scam that her daughter, who is currently in judicial custody, is being forced by an officer from Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal Police to name the leader of the opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari and CPI-M central committee member, Sujan Chakrabroty as beneficiaries of the scam.

The letter to CBI, which is conducting a probe in the multi- crore scam, has been written by Sarbari Mukherjee, mother of Debjani Mukherjee, one of the key accused in the scam. Debjani Mukherjee has been in judicial custody for the last nine years. She has been identified as the closest aide of Saradha Group founder chairman, Sudipta Sen.

In the letter, a copy of which is available with , Sarbari Mukherjee has alleged that a CID inspector, Abhijit Mukherjee went to Dum Dum Central Correctional Home, where Debjani Mukherjee is currently housed, on July 23, 2022 and had put pressure on her to give a statement that Suvendu Adhikari and Sujan Chakrabroty received Rs 6 core each from Sudipta Sen in her presence. It is also alleged that the CID inspector also threatened Debjani Mukherjee to be booked in nine other cases unless she gives such a statement.

Although Trinamool Congress leaders were tight-lipped over the matter till the time the report was filed, CID's additional director general, R. Rajasekaran claimed the allegations made in the letter were false and baseless.

As the letter surfaced, Suvendu Adhikari immediately issued a Twitter message where he claimed that it is a matter of shame that an institution like the CID was not now operating on behalf of the state's ruling party.

"Disgrace, total disgrace The once glorious CID has now become the paid janitor of WB's Bua- Bhatija. CID is indulging in criminality for advancing the nefarious interest of the Banerjees by intimidating under trial prisoner to give false statements against WB Opposition Leaders," Adhikari's Twitter message has read.

Sujan Chakraborty said that let there be an investigation by any agency and he was ready to face any probe in the matter. "But such intimidation of an undertrial, who has been imprisoned for the last nine years, is something unthinkable and unheard of. However, we will not succumb to any such pressure. I wonder why Trinamool Congress is still so scared of CPI-M, which does not have a single representative in the West Bengal Assembly," Chakraborty said.

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