Kolkata: Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday summoned Vivek Gupta, Trinamool Congress candidate from Jorasanko Assembly constituency over his alleged involvement in the Saradha ponzi scam.
According to ED sources, Gupta has been asked to appear before ED by March 23.
“Vivek was earlier summoned by CBI over his alleged financial transaction with the Saradha group. He is scheduled to appear before ED on coming Monday,” claimed the sources.
Notably, TMC candidate of Kamarhati Assembly constituency Madan Mitra is also scheduled to appear before ED on March 19.
Meanwhile, till the time of reporting businessman and TMC activist Swapan Sadhan Bose who was supposed to meet the officials of Enforcement Directorate today in connection with the Saradha scam, is yet to turn up.
It can be recalled that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been extremely vocal against the central agencies for harassing her candidates ahead of the polls.
West Bengal Education Minister and TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee has also been summoned by CBI over his alleged connection with ICore, which is another ponzi scam in West Bengal.
Incidentally, Partha is also the TMC candidate from Behala (West) Assembly constituency.
It is pertinent to mention that TMC spokesperson and former TMC Rajya Sabha MP, Kunal Ghosh has been questioned several times by the ED over his alleged connection with the same chit fund scam.
However, talking to Free Press Journal, Kunal Ghosh said that he has returned a total sum of 2.67 crore Saradha money to ED including the money of the advertisement he took for advertisement of his newspaper.
“From 2013, I have been returning money to the chit fund scams. When there was no money to pay the salary to staff, I gave 50 lakhs from my account to the editor to pay salary to others. In 2017, I have told ED that I want to return every bit that was given and ever since then the last amount of 47 lakhs I have returned yesterday,” said the former TMC Rajya Sabha MP.
