TIWN April 27, 2018
-1524830397.jpg&w=567 "‘I will resign as MLA if media can spot my Rs. 25 crores flat in Kolkata or anywhere in India’ : Badal Choudhury says after CBI’s Interrogation in Rose Valley chit fund scam")
AGARTALA, April 27 (TIWN): Tripura CPI-M’s Ex-Minister Badal Choudhury who avoided media to talk after CBI had interrogated him at the MLA hostel on Thursday afternoon, has called a press conference after seeing today’s newspapers, where it was claimed that Badal Choudhury has a flat in Kolkata’s Gariahat which worths Rs. 25 crores. Addressing the press conference at Melarmath party office, Badal Choudhury said, “First of all I was summoned by CBI not as an accused, but as witness according to CRPC-161. So, in no way I am linked with Rose Valley chit fund scam and it’s a common practice by CBI to interrogate multiple people on 161 basis for witnesses. But I can challenge, Tripura’s no media can prove that I have a flat in Kolkata or any-other state in India either in my name or in any other person’s name. If you can prove it, I will resign from as MLA designation".Choudhury also told in details that Rose Valley or anyother chit fund company was not licensed by state but from outside they gathered their licences.
The Ex-Minister also claimed that the CPI-M Govt urged the Centre many times to control chit fund networks and implement laws to save people's money.
The CBI who served notice to two heavyweight Ex-CPI-M Ministers MLA Bijita Nath and MLA Badal Choudhury for interrogation in Rose Valley chit fund scam held 2 hour long interrogation with Badal Choudhury on Thursday. But after CBI left, Badal Choudhury denied to talk to the media and asked media to question the CBI, what they asked him.
But after reading morning newspapers, Badal Choudhury in his defence said, “It’s rule that both the CBI and the interrogated person should not disclose what was asked. That’s why I avoided media….nothing was like to escape from media”.
The chit fund organisation -- Rose Valley -- is now under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI, and its sole proprietor and Chairman Gautam Kundu was arrested in Kolkata in 2015.
The Tripura High Court had in 2015 asked the state government to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe unlawful NBFCs and chit fund organisations.
In May 2013, the earlier Left government had referred 37 cases related to chit fund companies and NBFCs to the CBI. The central probe agency, however, took up only five cases.
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