Bhubaneswar: A day after Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay was remanded to CBI custody in connection with Rose Valley chit fund scam, his wife Nayna Bandyopadhyay on Thursday alleged political vendetta as the reason behind the arrest of her husband.
Nayna, an MLA herself, who showed up at the CBI office here, also alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is using the central investigation agency as a 'caged parrot.'
“It is very much clear that the CBI is being used by the BJP. From back to back arrest of two TMC leaders, it is evident that political vendetta is the reason behind Sudip's arrest,” Nayna told media persons.
Though it remains unclear whether Nayna deposed before the CBI or she on her own had gone to the office to meet her husband who is in CBI custody, official sources said she spent around one hour in the office.
CBI sources said Sudip is likely to be interrogated about the extent of his alleged association with Gautam Kundu, the arrested chairman of Rose Valley. He will also be asked about the favours he allegedly received from Kundu.
The TMC MP will face questions about a trip he made to Europe two years before the scandal broke. The CBI
claims that Rose Valley paid around Rs 22 lakh for the trip, and that a luxury car he used was also provided by the company.
A special court here on Wednesday rejected the bail plea of Sudip and remanded him to six-day CBI custody. He was arrested by the CBI on Tuesday in connection with the scam which led to violent protests by TMC workers. The MP's arrest came days after the arrest of another party MP Tapas Paul in the same case.
A CBI statement Sudip has been charged under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 408 (criminal breach of trust), 120b (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) and various sections of Prize, Chits and Money Circulation (Banning) Act of 1978. Earlier, CBI had arrested another TMC MP Tapas Pal in connection with the same case and kept him in remand for three days.
The Rose Valley Group has been accused of duping investors of about Rs 17,000 crores in different States and in Odisha alone it is said to be Rs 450 crore. The case is being investigated both by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). While Pal was one of the directors of the group, Sudip is accused of being a promoter of the ponzi firm.