Saradha case: HC puts off decision on CBI role to next week

Calcutta, May 8 (PTI): The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday adjourned till next week the hearing of petitions seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the chitfund scam, giving a breather to the West Bengal government, which has been opposing the CBI's entry. The court also directed the counsels of Saradha Group and Rajya Sabha member Kunal Ghosh to file affidavits by Monday. A divison bench of Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Joymalyo Bagchi directed an advocate who claimed to be appearing for the Saradha Group to submit wakalatnama from the management of any group company and an affidavit stating its contention with regard to the prayers in the petitions by Monday. The court also directed a counsel appearing for Rajya Sabha member Kunal Ghosh, whose arrest has been prayed for in some of the public interest litigations (PILs), to submit an affidavit by Monday. The court adjourned the matter till Tuesday when the case would be heard again. The West Bengal government has opposed a CBI probe into the scam, claiming that the state investigating agency is doing a proper job and that it has already arrested the chairman of Saradha Group, Sudipta Sen, and some others in connection with the scam. The scam came into the open following the closure of a number of media houses run by Saradha Group, one of the major players in the chitfund business. As lakhs of investors, mostly from the low income group, found they had been cheated, the state government ordered an investigation and the Bidhannagar Police was entrusted with the job.