AGARTALA / KOLKATA, June 11 (TIWN): Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday questioned famed magician-turned-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader P.C. Sorcar (Junior) in connection with the multi-billion-rupee chit fund scandal.Sorcar went to the CBI office housed at the CGO Building in the posh satellite township of Salt Lake.Sorcar later told the media that the central agency had sought details about his dealings with the Chit Fund Tower group which had raised money from the market. In Tripura, despite brickbats and abuses hurled by opposition parties and media in last few years towards CPI-M and Manik Sarkar’s tactical support for Chit Funds like Rose Valley,Sarada but that didn’t change CPI-M’s keen desire to save party functionaries from chit fund scams. In 2015, a serious matter has come to notice when it was discovered that Tripura’s two major Chit fund companies’ names wre missing from the Tripura Govt’s list of chit-fund companies given to CBI, based on which CBI supposed to start the investigation . According to reports, Tripura Govt. had sent total 37 chit fund companies names to CBI for investigation, among all CBI was only granted to investigate 5 chit fund companies, and surprisingly the names of Rose Valley Chit Fund and Sarada’s names skipped by State Govt among those 5 chit fund company names.

P.C.Sorcar had inked an agreement with the company for setting up a restaurant.Sources said there were financial transactions between the company and Sorcar (Junior).

Sorcar had fought the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from the Barasat constituency on a BJP ticket, but lost.

On April 7, 2015 Tripura opposition parties claimed that the total amount collected by the chit fund companies (in Tripura) was Rs 1,172 crore while Rose Valley alone had collected over 700 hundred of crores from depositors over years; but surprisingly Rose Valley’s name is not within the 5 hit list of corrupted companies.

Allegations are coming out in open that as a part of Manik Sarkar’s strategy, the investigators in the state branch of CBI is being selected as per recommendations some top officials of state govt. Although CBI is focusing on the investigation of chit fund, but with the incident of 2 major chit fund companies missing names has raised question on the future of Chit Fund investigation.

However, for the investigation purpose, CBI office at Gorkhabosti ,  new investigators were supplied by the state govt. Two inspectors from CID branch have also been taken on assignment.

It’s worthy to mention here that although more than 100 chit fund companies have looted the state, but state govt. could sent only 37 groups’ names, and govt. forgot to put the names of Rose Valley and Sarada. on the top with the details of amount which had been looted.

Opposition Parties had many times blamed the state govt. for sending this “garbage list” and called it for “no use”, and after CBI’s list of 5 chit fund groups which doesn’t include top most chit fund groups, once again their blames against state govt. has proven as true.

1. The Rose Valley Park was built in 16.5 hectares of land in Agartala. The government provided them half of the land at a cheaper price and allowed another half to be encroached.

2. CM’s presence in Rose Valley inauguration programme.

3. Badal Chaudhury, Minister of Health and Family Welfare dept. said in 2014 that the Rose valley chit fund company was not having the license of RBI and neither SEBI, inspite of that the authority started their illegal trading here at Agartala opening a branch.

4. Rose Valley’s missing name in the investigation list, though massive money of Rs 700 crores  had been looted by Rose Valley among 1,172 crore of total money by all companies.