Chit fund scam: CBI raids Mamata Banerjee aide’s house

Officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), raided the house of Manik Majumder, a close associate of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday in association of the sale of paintings by Mamata Banerjee.

CBI sources said that Majumder, who lives in Kalighat, in the vicinity of Mamata’s residence, had been associated with the party mouthpiece Jago Bangla and his name had come up during the probe into the chit fund scam.

CBI officials said that it was part of the investigation to find the money trail or finding out who had been benefitted out of the money from the ponzi firms. A lot of money from these chit fund companies were used to buy paintings by Mamata, according to officers. Officially, however, CBI sleuths denied that any search operation was carried out at Majumder’s place and maintained that it was part of the probe to examine and record statements of anyone’s name that came up during the investigation process.

CBI had earlier asked Majumder, who had been a Mamata-aide long before she became the CM, to come over to the CBI office and after he failed to do so, they went to his residence to question him about the bank accounts where the proceeds of sale from paintings were deposited.

Sources also said that a notice has also been sent to TMC spokesperson and party Rajya Sabha MP Derek O Brien as he was also associated with Jago Bangla. Derek, however said that he was yet to receive the notice.

Interestingly, the probe into the sale of paintings by Mamata had gathered pace after BJP national president had mentioned about it at a public meeting on January 29. He had alleged that Mamata’s paintings had been sold to chit fund companies who paid a lot of money which they had illegally collected from common people. Shah had also assured that if BJP was voted to power, they would get back every penny and return it to investors.