CBI arrests ex-union minister’s wife in Saradha scam

Kolkata, October 7

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Manoranjana Sinh, estranged wife of former Union Minister Matang Sinh, on Wednesday in the multi-crore Saradha Chitfund scam.

Sinh, a former journalist, was arrested for blackmailing Sudipto Sen, the prime suspect in the massive ponzy scam, into paying her money, CBI said.

A Kolkata-based entrepreneur, Santanu Ghosh, — co-founder of Xenitis Group, a computer hardware company that has now shut down— has also been arrested, police said.

Ghosh was arrested for misappropriation last year but was released on bail on August 26.

Former union minister Matang Sinh has already been arrested.

Manoranjana Sinh has been booked for misappropriation, cheating and criminal conspiracy.

Shantanu Sen, the suspected brain behind the ponzi scam, claimed Ghosh blackmailed him into purchasing his automobile company, which had huge debts.

Both will be produced in Alipore court on Thursday.
Devpreet Singh, a CBI spokesperson, claimed both suspects had revealed nothing and refused to cooperate the last time they were questioned.

Investigations into the Ponzi Scam, which came to light in 2013, revealed that the Saradha Group used 338 bank accounts and 224 companies to dupe investors from various states. Official estimates peg the swindle at Rs 1,200 crore.

The agency had arrested Sen and two others under PMLA on April 23, 2013. Sen was sentenced to three years of imprisonment in the first conviction in a series of criminal and civil cases in connection with the case.  

Several people including TMC leader Madan Mitra have been arrested in the case. Other top TMC functionaries, including CM Mamata Banerjee's close aide Mukul Roy, have been questioned.

The CBI took over investigations in June 2014 on Supreme Court’s orders. — PTI