Saradha chit fund scam: BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's brother summoned by WB Police

Kolkata, Nov 2 (IANS) The police have summoned Soumendu Adhikari, the younger brother of Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of opposition in West Bengal Assembly, for questioning in a case relating to the multi-crore Saradha chit fund case.

Soumendu Adhikari has been asked to be present at Contai Police station in East Midnapore district on Thursday noon only.

He has been summoned in relation to the theft of certain files related to the Ponzi case from Contai Municipality. It has been alleged that the theft happened when Soumendu Adhikari was the chairman of the municipality.

This is the third time that he has been summoned by police for questioning in the matter. He appeared for questioning on the previous two occasions.

Confirming that he will be honouring the summons this time as well, Soumendu Adhikari said that he has been unnecessarily summoned again after a gap of six months. “Since there is a court order for cooperating with the police in the matter, I will surely honour the notice from police and extend all necessary cooperation in the matter,” he said.

To recall, the Saradha Group founder-chairman Sudipta Sen, who is currently in judicial custody, had purchased a plot of land from the Contai Municipality with the intention of setting up a housing project there. However, before the project began Sen was arrested and sent to custody. Later, the same plot of land was used by the municipality as a dumping ground.

Although Soumendu Adhikari was not the chairman of the said municipality when the agreement between the rural civic body and Saradha Group was signed, it was alleged that crucial files relating to that land transfer agreement went missing during his tenure as the chairman.

Soumendu Adhikari claimed that the repeated summons to him is an act of political vendetta. “There were two consecutive chairmen after my term ended. But I am the only one who is being targeted,” he added.