Saradha scam: ED attaches assets of Nalini Chidambaram

The enforcement directorate on Friday attached the assets of Nalini Chidambaram, the wife of former Union minister P Chidambaram in connection with the Saradha scam.

The agency has named Nalini Chidambaram as one of the beneficiaries of the scam that had rocked West Bengal some years ago.

The ED announced that it has provisionally attached movable assets worth Rs 3.30 crore and immovable assets with value of more than Rs 3 crore in its ongoing investigation into matters involving the Saradha Group of companies under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. “These properties were owned by Saradha Group and other persons who were beneficiaries of the proceeds of crime generated by Saradha Group of companies,” the agency said.

“The beneficiaries include Nalini Chidambaram, Debabrata Sarkar, Debendranath Biswas (a former IPS officer and a former CPI(M) MLA) and Anubhuti Printers and Publications owned by the late Anjan Dutta, who was a minister in Assam,” the ED said.

The scam involves a chit fund run by the Saradha Group that had operations across West Bengal, Assam, and Orissa, till 2013. It later went bust wand was accused of cheating thousands of depositors.

“The quantum of total money mobilised by this group is about Rs 2,459 crore, excluding the interest amount, of which nearly Rs 1,983 crore remains unpaid to depositors till date,” the agency pointed out.

The ED had registered a case against the Saradha Group of companies in 2013 on the basis of FIRs registered by the Kolkata Police and the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Before issuing the attachment order, the ED had issued eight provisional attachment orders for assets valued at more than Rs 600 crore).