Saradha scam: ED questions Aparna Sen, West Bengal minister

Kolkata: West Bengal Textiles minister Shyamapada Mukherjee and actor Aparna Sen were today questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with its money laundering probe in the multi-crore Saradha chitfunds scam case. The first to arrive at the Salt Lake office of the central probe agency here was the award wining actor and director Sen whose statement was recorded by ED which is probing her role as the Editor of a magazine brought out by the now defunct group. “Sen’s statement was recorded under section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). She replied to all the queries the sleuths had and has assured she would cooperate with them in future with regard to this case,” sources privy to the development said. She is understood to have told the ED officials that she knew nothing of the business investments and other ponzi schemes run by the group. [caption id=“attachment_1517893” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File photo of the police escorting Saradha Group’s Chairman Sudipta Sen after his arrest last year. Reuters.[/caption] Sources said Sen was associated with the magazine that was brought out by the Sudipta Sen-promoted group which is under the scanner of multiple-probe agencies after a large number of depositors last year alleged they have been duped of their hard-earned money through fraud ponzi schemes. The second to be questioned during the day by the ED was Mukherjee about a property sale in 2009. “An allegation was raised against Mr Mukherjee that he has raised some capital by way of transfer of some assets. All the allegations against him of illegal dealings are baseless and today he has come to give all relevant details and bank statements in this regard to the ED,” Joydeb Das, a lawyer accompanying the minister, told PTI. PTI