Kolkata: Tripura Opposition leader Sudip Roy Burman on Monday accused the Manik Sarkar government in the state of shielding Rose Valley company, whose chairman is now in judicial custody here in connection with an Enforcement Directorate probe.
"The Manik Sarkar government did not specify the amount of money involved in the scam while writing to the CBI to probe the Rose Valley Group in 2013, only to ensure that it was not investigated," Tripura Opposition leader Sudip Roy Burman alleged while speaking to newspersons here.
The Congress leader claimed that the state government had written to the CBI following a clamour over the activities of several ponzi fund companies operating in Tripura.
This was done, Burman claimed, only after the Saradha chit fund scam came to light and the Assam government suo motu sought a CBI probe into the scam there.
"The state government had conducted raids on the offices of some such companies, including Rose Valley, but took little action," Burman alleged.
The companies were allowed time to wind up operations in the state and flee, thus leaving lakhs of hapless investors in the lurch, Burman claimed.
"Tripura chief minister and other ministers have been present at functions of Rose Valley Group and various other chit fund companies," he alleged, adding that Sarkar was also present at the launch of Saradha Group's newspaper in the state.
He alleged that chit fund companies had flourished whenever the Left Front was in power in the state.
"Democracy is being throttled in Tripura and it is a one- man show there," Burman said.
Rose Valley Chairman Gautam Kundu is presently in judicial remand following his arrest by the ED in connection with a money laundering case lodged against him.
