Saradha scam knocking at Mamata’s door
By Ashis Biswas
Is Trinamool Congress (TMC) Chief Mamata Banerjee about to join regional leaders like Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav, Ms Mayawati, Ms Jayalalithaa or Mr, Lalu Prasad Yadav, with the CBI probing the Saradha chit fund scam? The question intrigues most observers because of the way the Central Bureau of Investigation officials have conducted their inquiries into India’s biggest multi-crore chit fund scandal. Significantly, from their nervous reactions to the carefully leaked official disclosures daily in the print/electronic media, TMC leaders seem to be admitting complicity.
So far, only one TMC Rajya Sabha MP, Mr. Kunal Ghosh has been arrested. However, the CBI has already arrested Debabrata Sarkar, a top boss of the East Bengal football club enjoying close links with TMC Minister for Sports, Mr. Madan Mitra. Following this, the CBI also arrested local businessman Sandhir Agarwal, alleged of “managing” officials of the SEBI and the RBI for the scam operators.
The investigating agency had also arrested Mrs Debjani Mukherjee, a top level Saradha employee and the son of Sudipta earlier, taking them into custody to grill them. Receiving details about the working of the fund operators led by Mr Sudipto Sen and following up on the new leads, investigators learnt much about how the ruling TMC leaders were acting hand-in-glove with the group.
It also became clear that the so-called Special Investigating Team (SIT) appointed by the Kolkata High Court, had practically done nothing to investigate the corruption. On the contrary, senior police officers, handpicked by the state government, made off with valuable documents and other basic data seized during the last 18 months. This made things very difficult for the CBI and delayed the probe. The central agency complained about the non-co-operation of the SIT to the courts, as did the central Enforcement Directorate earlier.
This is the first time that agencies like the ED and the CBI have made such a serious complaint against the police authorities of any state government in India, during the investigation of high-level corruption. This scam is estimated to have seen the misappropriation of between Rs 20,000-25,000 crore from mostly poor people in Eastern India.
But to answer the question posed at the beginning, how will the probe affect the present high standing of TMC leader Mamata Banerjee, who loses no opportunity ever of claiming the moral high ground on every issue and delivering lectures on public morality to the world?
Kolkata-based observers feel that by trying her best to stop the CBI from starting its probe — West Bengal government spent over Rs 11 crore in different court cases to prevent the CBI from coming in — Ms Banerjee had sent a clear signal that her partymen were deeply involved in the scam. “In case the CBI presents a charge sheet naming several TMC leaders, her status will be reduced to the level of other regional leaders. Mr, Lalu Prasad Yadav may be important in Bihar and Mr, Mulayam Singh Yadav in UP, but their clout in Delhi has been much reduced because of the allegations and cases, of corruption involving them. It is no different with Ms Mayawati or Ms Jayalalithaa. Mamata” unique advantage was that so far she could claim a totally corruption-free record. But the Saradha scam probe will nail that lie once for all, bringing her in company with other leaders against whom corruption charges have been proved, who have been punished, even jailed. Henceforth not much will remain of her old clout at the centre any more,” explains an analyst.
No one knows how far this analysis will prove correct. But indications within the TMC have not been positive at all. After he had been jailed, Ghosh had publicly accused senior TMC leaders like Madan Mitra, one Asif Khan, Mamata herself and other party bigwigs of active involvement with Saradha matters. . Those named by him chose to remain silent or dismissed his charges with contempt.
But now the CBI has not only questioned one state Minister Shayamapada Mukherjee, it has indicated its intention to talk to Mitra very soon. It has already knocked on the doors of TMC supporter businessman Asif Khan and grilled TMC adviser in Birbhum former police officer, Rajat Majumdar.
And the revelation that during Ms Banerjee’s tenure as Minister for Railways, a Saradha-sponsored travel agency had been commissioned by the Railways to carry passengers to all the holy sites of India, has come as an explosion. According to rules, no agency without work experience of five years at least is allowed to undertake such work, but this cardinal rule was given a go-by for Saradha !
“Only direct Ministerial intervention at the highest level could have persuaded the authorities to tweak the rules in this way,” says BJP leader Tathagata Ray, himself a former Metro Rail Engineer.
Reactions within the TMC? As the net seemed to close on Transport Minister Madan Mitra after his personal staff had been questioned for hours regarding his Saradha links, the man got himself admitted to a local private hospital. After his release, he virtually stopped working, with party secretary Mukul Roy, himself suspected of involvement in the scam, taking over his duties. Mitra contradicted what his personal staff had told the CBI and protested his innocence, all out of turn..
A sure sign that he was in big trouble came later. At a city function where new buses were launched, Ms Banerjee pointedly ignored Mitra who did his best to catch her eyes. His humiliation was recorded comprehensively on TV and in the print media. Like Ghosh earlier whom he had derided, Mitra was now a persona non grate in the TMC, a’ leper’ to be avoided by all…
There is a postscript. Shortly after the disclosure of irregular orders favouring Saradha company by the Railways when Ms Banerjee was the Minister, was made public, newsmen asked party Secretary Mukul Roy for comments. Roy said that, ‘It had happened before I became a Minister and if there are irregularities, the CAG or the audit people would take note.’ In other words, he dissociated himself from the alleged complaint, leaving his boss, Mamata Banerjee to fend for herself. (IPA Service)