Saradha scam: East Bengal official sent to custody

Kolkata, Aug 29 :

A court here Friday sent East Bengal Football Club official Debabrata Sarkar, arrested by the CBI for his alleged complicity in the multi-crore rupee Saradha scam, to judicial custody after the agency did not seek extension of his remand.

Presented before the court after the expiry of his custody by the Central Bureau of Investigation, Sarkar was remanded to judicial custody till Sep 10 after the CBI refused to seek extension of his remand.

Accused by scam kingpin Sudipta Sen of extorting more than Rs. 40 crore from him, Sarkar was nabbed by the CBI Aug 20, the agency’s first arrest after taking over the probe in West Bengal following a Supreme Court directive in May this year.

Continuing the probe, the CBI during the day quizzed Bapi Karim, a former confidential assistant to state Sports and Transport Minister Madan Mitra for the second consecutive day. The agency has conducted raids at several city locations and grilled a number of people including a few high profile names.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Abdul Mannan said he was mulling approaching the Supreme Court yet again to check the ruling Trinamool Congress’ efforts to defeat the CBI probe.

“From the chief minister to the people at lower level all are trying to thwart the CBI probe. The state government is not cooperating in the investigation and there are efforts to make the evidence disappear,” he alleged.

“So we are seeking expert advice so that we may approach the SC and get a suitable order so the CBI probe goes on unhindered,” added Mannan who played a key role in the filing of the petition which eventually led to the SC ordering the CBI to probe the state’s biggest financial scandal.

(IANS)