Kolkata : The CBI has summoned state Congress leader Soumen Mitra on Friday for interrogation in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam. The agency also summoned West Bengal Transport minister and TMC leader Madan Mitra and party’s Rajya Sabha MP Srinjoy Bose to attend the CBI office the same day.
Soumen Mitra, a former Trinamool Congress MP from Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district has recently returned back to Congress following feud with TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee. He said that he is yet to get any letter from the CBI. “If I receive the letter I will go to the CBI office on Friday,” he said.
It is learnt that the CBI had sent the notice to Madan Mitra through speed post. Those who were arrested before in connection with the Saradha scam had alleged that Madan Mitra had close link with Sudipto Sen. Madan Mitra had also attended a function organised by the Saradha group where Sudipto Sen was present. The CBI had already interrogated the former confidential assistant of the transport minister.
West Bengal Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee on Wednesday defended his cabinet colleague and said if the CBI summoned anyone it does not mean he was guilty.
“CBI can summon anyone they like. But if someone is summoned by CBI it doesn”t prove him guilty,” Mukherjee told reporters on the sidelines of a programme.
Madan Mitra is the second minister who was summoned by the CBI. Earlier the CBI had called West Bengal Textile minister Shyamapada Mukherjee a few months back. The CBI called Mukherjee for selling a closed cement factory to Saradha group chairman Sudipto Sen.
– Ambar Mukherjee
