West Bengal Transport Minister Madan Mitra, arrested in the Saradha scam, Friday claimed he has named to the CBI, several CPI-M leaders including MP Mohammad Salim for their involvement in the multi-crore scandal. The Left leaders dismissed the allegations."I have named a series of CPI-M leaders - Rabin Deb, Mohammad Salim and Sujon Chakraborty," Mitra said here at the CBI office on posers by the media if he has named anyone to the agency.Arrested Dec 12 by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for his alleged complicity in the scam, Mitra, was Friday denied bail and remanded to judicial custody till Jan 2 by a court.Pleading before the court, Mitra said that the CBI had no evidence to prove his involvement in the scam.
"The CBI claims my presence in some Saradha events helped the company to dupe lakhs of investors. If it is so, then why not a single depositor so far, has given a statement that my speech in Saradha events led them to invest in the company," he argued. Participating in some Saradha programmes, Mitra had heaped praises on company chairman Sudipta Sen for creating job opportunities for thousands and assured help if the group faced any difficulties."Sen knows how to make an ocean out of droplets. Work well, we are with you," Mitra was seen saying in one of such programmes, the video of which was aired by TV channels.
Reacting to Mitra's claims, Chakraborty, a former Lok Sabha member, said Communist Party of India-Marxist leaders have been targeted because they have been hitting the road against the Trinamool leaders' involvement in the scam."We are bound to attract Trinamool's ire, because we have been hitting the roads demanding action against their leaders including their supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for their involvement in the scam," he said.Echoing a similar view, Salim said that Mitra had actually taken names of his own Aparty leaders before the CBI and fearing a backlash, he was naming the Marxist leaders in the public.