Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday accused Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of being involved in the multi-billion Saradha chit fund scam.
“She (Mamata) should take responsibility for this scam. She herself is involved in the scam; in fact she is an accomplice in this multi-billion scam. In future, this will be revealed,” he said
“They are simply under the apprehension of being incriminated by Kunal Ghosh. TMC government has been forced to put Kunal Ghosh behind the bars. If they have guts, then they should answer the questions raised by Ghosh,” he said days after the police arrested suspended TMC lawmaker Kunal Ghosh in West Bengal for his alleged role in the scam.
In a Facebook post, Ghosh had named 12 party leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, who could help in the investigation of the scam.
The Kolkata-based Saradha Group, ponzi scheme had over 10,000 registered chit funds across the country and with an aggregate turnover of Rs.30, 000 crore per annum.
The Saradha Group is said to have defrauded thousands of investors, including poor people, in West Bengal, leading to the arrest of its owner Sudipta Sen in April this year.
The industry is governed by Chit Fund Act 40/1982 and is regulated by state governments with their own set of rules. Reserve Bank of India is the principal regulator and at the state level Registrar of Chits/The Inspector General of Registration oversees these regulations.
In April, the Corporate Affairs Ministry decided to order a probe against the Saradha Group of companies. The decision to conduct a probe followed a meeting between Corporate Affairs Minister Sachin Pilot and senior ministry officials.
The meeting then discussed the steps required to check suspected fraudulent activities of other chit fund companies. Nationally, there are about 10, 000 registered chit. (ANI)