Earlier investigations messed up Saradha probe: CBI

Kolkata, Sept 18: The Special Crime branch of

, which started probing the multi-crore

at the instance of

three months back, said that the earlier investigations by multiple agencies had `disarrayed' the matters.

"We started the investigation process three months back. But investigations made by SIT formed by the West Bengal government and the Economic Offences Cell also of the state government have messed up the entire probe process," a CBI source told PTI.

He said that it was becoming difficult for the CBI, which was probing aspects like criminal conspiracy, misappropriation of funds and criminal breach of trust in the Saradha episode, to put things and stitch together.

Asked when CBI would be able to complete the probe process as the ED had said that it was expecting to file prosecution complaints by November, the source said, "ED had started the process since April 2013. We have started only three months back. It will take a reasonable amount of time".

"But let us see. There is an apparent deadline of November and we are trying our best," the source said. So far, CBI had made 10 arrests and interrogated people like former Tara Channel chairman Rathikanta Basu, Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP Srinjoy Bose, officials of IRCTC and others.

He also alleged lack of cooperation from the state police and authorities. The source said that CBI was also hamstrung by severe lack of manpower.

"Given the scope and magnitude of the probe, there is a severe lack of manpower in CBI and also no exclusive law officer was dedicated to this", the source said.

PTI