Saradha chit fund scam: Court freezes Sudipta Sen's accounts

New Delhi: A special money laundering courthere has ordered freezing of bank accounts of Sudipta Sen, thearrested chairman of Saradha group embroiled in alleged chitfund scam, to allow probe agencies complete investigationsagainst the firm.Two banks accounts were placed under attachment byEnforcement Directorate (ED) sometime back.

The accounts, inSen’s name in a private bank in Odisha’s Balasore, hold atotal amount of Rs 27,752.80.The ED, which is investigating the case for alleged moneylaundering criminalities in the alleged chit fund scheme,suspects this to be “proceeds of crime” and wants theseaccounts to be kept frozen till the probe is completed.

The Adjudicating Authority of the Prevention of MoneyLaundering Act (PMLA) here, a judicial body to decide onstringent enforcement action like freezing of assets, upheldthe preventive action done sometime back by ED’s Kolkataoffice.

“I perused the documents produced and the reasons forretention/freezing and I am convinced that they are primafacie involved in money laundering and are therefore requiredto be retained for the purpose of enquiry under the PMLA,“Acting Chairman of the Authority K Raamamoorthy said in hislatest order.

Some other computer-related hardware have also been seizedby the agency for investigation purposes after searches wereconducted in the premises of the Saradha group in May.

PTI