CBI notice to Tripura minister on chit fund case

Agartala, June 24 : Tripura Social Welfare Minister Bijita Nath on Saturday said she has got a CBI notice for questioning in connection with a case of the Rose Valley chit fund scam.

"I got a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) notice today (Saturday) through the state assembly. The agency official informed me that they would meet me in my official residence on June 29 in connection with a case relating to Rose Valley chit fund group," Nath told IANS over phone.

"I do not know what information the CBI official wanted to know from me. I would share information if any thing I know about the Rose Valley chit fund organisation," she said.

The CBI notice, a copy of which was with IANS, told Nath : "It appears that you are acquainted with the circumstances of the case under the Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banking) Act, 1978 against the Chairman, Rose Valley Hotel and Entertainment Limited and others."

Earlier there were reports in a section of media that Nath, also holds the Science and Technology and Environment portfolios, was indirectly involved with the Rose Valley chit fund organisation. However, the minister had several times denied the allegations.

Ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist's Tripura State Secretary Bijan Dhar said: "If CBI wants any information from the minister, she would share, there is no problem on it."

The Tripura government since last year began confiscating of movable and immovable properties of Rose Valley chit fund organisation in the state.

"Principal Secretary, Finance, M. Nagaraju had issued a notification to attach all the movable and immovable assets of Rose Valley in more than 20 places across the states," a Finance Department official said.

He said the notification asked all district and sub-divisional magistrates of eight districts to take necessary action to confiscate the properties.

The Rose Valley chit fund which launched its business in Tripura many years back had at least twenty movable and immovable properties in the state.

The chit fund organisation is now under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI and its sole proprietor and chairman Gautam Kundu was arrested in Kolkata in 2015.

The Tripura High Court last year asked the state government to set up a Special Investigation Team to probe illegal Non Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) and chit fund organisations.

Meanwhile, SIT head and Tripura's Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) K. V. Sreejesh said the SIT was probing 78 cases involving 48 NBFCs and chit fund organisations and had arrested 112 persons.

"We have seized bank accounts and attached properties of most of these organisations. We will soon complete our probe," he added.

In 2013, the Tripura government had referred 37 cases relating to chit fund companies and NBFCs to the CBI. The central probe agency, however, took up only five cases.