West Bengal minister Madan Mitra arrives in CBI office for questioning in Saradha scam case

West Bengal Transport Minister Madan Mitra on Friday appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for questioning in the multi-crore rupee Saradha chitfund scam.

Mitra, who was summoned by the CBI for the second time, reached the CGO Complex in Kolkata at 11 am, officials said.

The CBI had summoned Mitra for the first time on November 18 but he could not appear due to health issues.

After undergoing treatment at a private hospital initially, on November 20 the minister was admitted to the state-run SSKM Hospital from where he was discharged on November 26.

Denying any involvement in the scam, Mitra after getting discharged from the hospital, had asserted that he would cooperate with the investigation agency whenever it called him for questioning.

The CBI had earlier grilled the minister's former confidential assistant Bapi Karim.

Mitra is the second state minister to be grilled by the CBI. Earlier, Textile Minister Shyamapada Mukherjee was questioned.

The legislator from the Kamarhati assembly constituency had appeared as a guest in several Saradha programmes where he had praised group promoter and scam kingpin Sudipta Sen for generating employment.

A few Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders including Rajya Sabha members Kunal Ghosh and Srinjoy Bose are behind the bars in connection with the scam.