A fresh controversy has erupted over allegations by Debjani Mukherjee’s mother, one of prime accused multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam that her daughter is being forced by an officer from Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal Police to name the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari and CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty as beneficiaries of the scam.
Sarbari Mukherjee, mother of Debjani Mukherjee, who is behind bars for the past nine years, has written a letter to the Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI) in this regard. In the letter, the mother said that her daughter was being pressured to name the leader of Opposition parties.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari took note of the developments and said in a tweet, “Disgrace, total disgrace! The once glorious CID has now become the paid janitor of WB’s Bua- Bhatija. CID is indulging in criminality for advancing the nefarious interest of the Banerjees by intimidating under trial prisoners to give false statements against WB Opposition Leaders”.
The West Bengal CID was quick to respond to the allegations and called it ‘false and baseless”.
“It is clarified that Ms. Debjani Mukherjee, under investigation by CID in Case No 621/17 of Joynagar PS was examined at 23.8.2022 at Dum Dum Central Correctional Home in presence of the staff of the Correctional Home including a woman staff, by the I.O. Her statement was duly recorded by the I.O after obtaining an order from the concerned Ld. Court. The false and baseless allegations raised in the petition dated 07.09.2022 purportedly submitted by the mother of Ms. Debjani Mukherjee as circulated in media, are categorically denied,” the CID said in the statement.
The agency said that CID West Bengal as an investigating agency conducts investigation following due procedures of law and it will continue to do so and urged the media to “refrain from augmenting such false and malicious propaganda in any manner”.
Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that there is no question of Debjani Mukherjee targeting leaders of Opposition parties as Suvendu Adhikari was in Trinamool Congress when he took money from Saradha promoter Sudipta Sen. Mr. Ghosh said that he had made allegations against Mr. Adhikari way back in 2013.
A few months ago a letter by Sudipta Sen, the chairman of Saradha group alleging that Suvendu Adhikari has taken money from him. Ever since the 2021 Assembly polls, Mr. Adhikari a BJP MLA from Nandigram has become the biggest critic of the Trinamool Congress government and the Trinamool leadership has not spared any opportunity to hit out at Mr. Adhikari.
