Saradha graft slur on Assam min Himanta - Times of India

GUWAHATI: Soon after television channels aired news on Saradha Group chairman Sudipta Sen naming Assam health and education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in his letter to CBI stating that the minister has cheated him of not less than Rs 3 crore, chief minister Tarun Gogoi ordered the home department to take steps to move the CBI for a probe into all 128 chit fund companies operating in the state, including Saradha. Speaking to TOI, Sarma denied the allegations made against him in the letter written by Sen to CBI on Ap ril 6, while he was absconding. "I have seen a copy of the letter where he (Sen) has said, and I quote, "Another high level person who has dramatically cheated me is Himanta Biswa Sarma. In one and half years, we have given him not less than Rs 3 crore, in cash and some vouchers have been signed by his office executives by some other means." Sarma said, "I met him only once, about 18 to 19 months ago, when he invited me at the launch function of his English daily Seven Sisters Post. I declined to go to the function and that was all. When he has not approached me for any favour nor have I approached him for any favour, where is the question of me taking money from him. He has stated that my office executives have taken money and signed vouchers on my behalf. I have checked with my office staff and no one has done this. This is a shocker." In reaction to the TV news channels carrying news on Sen's letter naming a minister of his cabinet, chief minister Tarun Gogoi said, "I have not seen the letter but we are taking action against all chit fund companies operating in the state for swindling public money." Gogoi said the cases are being examined and the government is contemplating to hand over some cases to the CBI having inter-state ramifications. The chief minister's office said in the last two years police have registered 222 cases of swindling of public money by 128 companies which includes Saradha Group, Rose Valley, Unipay 2U, Jeevan Suraksha, Prayag, Abyss Assam Group Co, Basil International Ltd., Alliance Vision Marketing Pvt. Ltd and Daffodils Group of Companies. "Seventeen cases have been charge-sheeted so far against 42 persons and 15 companies. Another 303 persons have been arrested so far. Nearly Rs 94 lakh in cash has been seized and Rs 24 crore frozen. 106 bank accounts have been frozen and a number of plots totaling more than 99 bighas, including buildings, have been identified and necessary steps are b eing taken up for their attachment," the chief minister's office said. Police have engaged its Special Investigation Team (SIT) in supervising the cases. According to TV news reports, the Saradha chief has also named owners of three television channels in Assam besides a Congress legislator. via Top Stories - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNE5EVcXNpo7u4AYN3J4Yo2dFzXDVw&url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Saradha-graft-slur-on-Assam-min-Himanta/articleshow/19719329.cms

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