KOLKATA: Noted artist Subhaprasanna on Monday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in connection with its probe into the Saradha chit fund case, sources said.
According to ED sources, the artist, perceived to be close to West Bengal's ruling party Trinamool Congress, appeared before the financial probe agency's officials at its CGO Complex office here. The source said that he appeared before the agency with documents relating to banking transactions. His statement will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
According to ED sources, Subhaprasanna was quizzed regarding certain financial transactions done with the Saradha Group through his bank account with regard to the sale of a television channel to SudiptaSen, the chief of Saradha group, who is in prison. According to ED sources, a Rs-6-crore transaction had taken place between Subhaprasanna and Sen.
Subhaprasanna has been questioned in the case in 2019 and 2015 as well. His daughter was questioned in 2016 in connection with the case by the ED. Subhaprasanna's questioning comes almost 13 days after the ED questioned Trinamool Congress spokesperson KunalGhose. The ED has earlier questioned Trinamool Congress MLA Samir Chakraborty on March 12 for over two hours.
The CBI and the ED, which are probing the ponzi scam, have interrogated a number of Trinamool Congress leaders and close aides of the party in the last few years.
In recent times, the CBI also recorded the statement of West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremoMamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee's wife Rujira Banerjee and her sister MenkaGambhir in connection with the illegal coal smuggling case.
The central agencies' actions have turned the heat on in the poll-bound West Bengal, where the ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP are engaged in a bitter war of words. Polling for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in eight phases, on March 27, April 1, April 6, April 10, April 17, April 22, April 26 and April 29. (IANS)