Saradha: Bengal Congress slams Kapil Sibal for taking over TMC govt's case in SC

Kolkata/New Delhi, Jan 19: The West Bengal Congress lashed out at former UPA minister Kapil Sibal for deciding to represent the state government in the Supreme Court in connection to the CBI probe into the Saradha chit fund scam. [TMC moves SC accusing CBI of working under political pressure]

The state government and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) filed separate petitions in the apex court on Monday requesting the apex court to monitor the central investigative agency's probe into the scam worth over crores.[Saradha: Nervous TMC awaits Mukul Roy song]

West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee chief Adhir Chowdhury regretted Sibal's action, said the latter preferred profession over politics. Another state Congress leader Mala Roy said being a Congress member, one could not take up the TMC's cause.

In its petition, the state government said the information on the Saradha probe is reaching other parties before the accused and because of this, the image of the state government is getting tainted.

The Supreme Court, while handing over the probe to the CBI in April last year, said it wouldn't monitor the case unless the need arose. The state government said in its petition that the need has come to monitor the probe.

The Opposition said there was no surprise that the TMC govt went to the SC

The ruling party's petition was filed by its General Secretary Mahua Moitra. She said there could be links between the CBI and BJP and the former's selective leaks to the latter. That is how the BJP leaders were giving reactions on the probe even before the CBI's actions were seen in the public, it was said in the petition.

Former Additional Solicitor General Vivek Tanka appeared for the TMC. Both petitions were filed before the bench headed by Justice TS Thakur and the apex court is expected to hear both petitions later this week.

Two TMC MPs and one state minister have been put behind bars in connection to Saaradha and the party's All-India General Secretary Mukul Roy has also been summoned by the CBI for quizzing.

Oneindia News