AGARTALA / KOLKATA, Oct 2 (TIWN): The CBI on Thursday raided 19 places in Odisha and West Bengal in connection with its ongoing probe in the multi-crore-rupee chit fund scam, an official said.A total of 246 cases have been registered by the CBI against 128 companies, including Saradha Group, Rose Valley, Unipay 2 U, Jeevan Suraksha, Prayag, Abyss Assam Group Co, Basil International Limited and Daffodils Group of Companies.The two directors Ashok Kumar Saha, MD of Rose Valley based in Agartala and Shibamoy Dutta, Rose Valley Kolkata were involved cheating and misappropriation of funds and was in long association with the group with the group's Chief Managing director Gautam Kundu. The firm came into the limelight following the Saradha ponzi scam which broke in early 2013. Rose Valley Group is allegedly involved in cheating of more than Rs 15,000 crore and Supreme Court ordered CBI to register case against the group.Chief Minister Manik Sarkar's blessings on Rose Valley, acting as brand ambassador by inaugurating Rose Valley park,promoting Chit Funds is widely seen as State CPI-M's active involvement in ponzi schemes.The corporate affairs ministry, in the same year had named Rose Valley as one of the 73 companies involved in ponzi schemes in West Bengal.

Earlier  under High Court’s pressure, Tripura Govt was forced to form  Special Investigation Team (SIT) to hear depositors of the various Chit Fund companies.

CPI-M after trying their best to cover-up investigation on Rose Valley case, High Court's order forced State Govt to form a team to investigate the case in proper manner. 

But Manik Sarkar's Police failed miserably to progress in Chit Fund investigations so far.
SIT team comprised of Senior inspectors namely Kamalendu Bhowmik, Samir Roy, Manik Debnath, Nityananda Sarkar , Surasen Tripura respectively. 

The High Court of Tripura instructed the State Government to form a full-fledged team to investigate all the matters related to Chit fund issues. 

The High Court Division bench headed by Chief Justice Deepak Gupta and U.B. Saha had passed the order. Immediately a special investigation team (SIT) was formed headed by Director Generalof Police and Chief Secretary. It is also known that the division bench said that as it is not possible to investigate the whole matter fully by the CBI, so an alternative procedure should be adopted. Accordingly a special investigation team should be formed necessarily. This team will further investigate all the chit fund related matters. Earlier, High Court wanted to know that if every scam case should be handed over to the CBI, then what the role of State government will be in this regard?
In reply it was said that there is no experienced person in the police department who can investigate the matter properly. But the division bench is not satisfied with the answer and ordered for Special Investigation Team (SIT) to be formed immediately.

It is to be mentioned that on August 20 last a team of SIT (Special Investigation Team) head by Samir Roy went  Kolkata to investigate about  Rose Valley, that  have duped thousands of investors of the state.For fourteen days they were staying at Kolkata without progressing an inch in investigation.

"Whom they have met, where have they gone, Which  officials of Rose Valley was questioned are is mysteriously kept secret by Tripura police headquarter".

Whatever information collected from police sources it was informed that as per government norms rooms were booked for them at  Tripura Bhavan. Each team member was allotted Rs 360 for food and lodging. Transportation fee to be paid through Tripura Bhavan.But  the team members stayed at private hotels.

Reports says Samir Roy and another member SIT attended a tea party in Kolkata, which arranged by Bijoy Kilkdar, a senior official of Rose Valley.                        

Thrusday raids were carried out at the residences and the offices of chit fund company S.R. Green House Limited, which has duped thousands of investors in Odisha and Bengal.

CBI sleuths raided one place in Balasore in Odisha and 18 in Bengal.

"We have conducted raids in 19 places in Odisha and West Bengal in connection with the chit fund scam," said a CBI official.

The residences and the offices of the company's managing director and director were also raided.

At present, the chit fund cases are spread in various trial courts across West Bengal and the CBI wants three special courts in Kolkata to deal with them.