CBI grills Anjan Dutta again

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, March 26: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Anjan Dutta was on Thursday grilled by the CBI for the second time in connection with the multi-crore-rupee Saradha scam. He was summoned by the investigating agency and given time till tomorrow to appear before it. Dutta arrived at the CBI's CGO complex in Kolkata at around 2.30 pm. He was grilled by a team of officers led by Joint Director Rajiv Singh.

The interrogation was done following statements of the arrested accused, sources said, adding that Dutta’s role in the scam, if any, is not yet clear.

Before he entered the CBI office, Dutta was asked by jourlists why he was being summoned again. “I don’t know. Let me first meet the officers,” he said.

He was questioned for several hours by the investigating agency.

The Amguri MLA had been grilled by the CBI earlier for over three hours on November 24 last.

During that interrogation, Dutta was asked to give details about his printing business which used to print a Bengali newspaper and other materials for jailed Saradha promoter and purported scam kingpin Sudipta Sen.

The CBI had earlier searched his residence in Assam.

Dutta, a former State minister, had claimed earlier that he himself was a “victim” of Saradha. “I did not take any kickbacks from the company. Saradha Printing and Publication Private Limited had an agreement with Anubhuti Printing and Publication which I own, for printing a newspaper published by Saradha. Printing is my business and I used to get the printing charges every month,” Dutta had said after a CBI raid at his place.