Saradha: Noose tightens around Anjan

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, April 22: A team from the Enforcement Directorate in Kolkata was in Guwahati since Monday in connection with its probe into the Saradha multi-crore chit fund scam.

The team, which did not share any details of their investigation with the local ED office here, is understood to have visited the Chandmari and Dispur branches of a public sector bank and examined the accounts of APCC president Anjan Dutta.

An ED official here said that the team from Kolkata was here for some “secret investigations” in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam.

“They visited some banks and examined some accounts. They did not share anything with us,” the official posted here said.

Sources said that the special ED team was verifying the statements of Anjan Dutta who had claimed receiving payment from Saradha for the services provided by his ‘Anubhuti Printing and Publishers Limited’.

Sources said that ED was suspicious of the “exorbitant” payments made by Saradha to Dutta’s company for printing their newspaper. The Enforcement Directive is also investigating whether any other payment was made to Dutta by Sudipto Sen, the owner of Saradha. It is learnt that the investigating agency has received tip-offs that a huge payment was made to Dutta by Saradha.

The ED had taken up the case following investigations done by the CBI in the scam. The ED generally investigates the money laundering part.

Dutta has been questioned by the CBI twice. He was asked to furnish the documents and receipts regarding his transactions with Saradha. The ED is likely to summon him again, according to sources.