Saradha chit fund scam: Mithun Chakraborty surrenders Rs 1.2 crore to ED

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress MP and actor Mithun Chakraborty on Tuesday surrendered Rs 1.2 crores, which he had received from the now-defunct chit fund firm Saradha Group, to the officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The veteran Bollywood actor was last month questioned by the ED  in connection with the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam.

During the questioning, the actor had assured the agency that he would soon return the amount given to him by the said firm.

According to media reports, the TMC MP was questioned at the fortified guest house of a central police organisation where his statement was recorded under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

During the recording of statement, Chakraborty reportedly provided the agency sleuths with a number of DVDs, CDs and scripts that he had got as part of being the brand ambassador of the Saradha Group.

“The actor told the investigators that his association with the Saradha Group was purely professional and that he had no intentions of cheating or duping anyone. He said he had no inkling about any sort of scam being perpetrated. The actor submitted all his personal and official records to the agency in this regard,” the PTI had quoted sources as saying.

The actor, during the three-hour long questioning, had also told the investigators that he would deposit the amount of less than Rs 2 crore he had received to be finally restored to the depositors alleged to have been cheated in this scam.

The Rajya Sabha MP of the ruling party in West Bengal had reportedly told the ED that he “actually acted in promotional videos and advertisements that were broadcast on television shows” made by the Saradha Group and this was done as per his contract.

He told investigators that if he had bad intentions, he would not have done the promotional activity and instead would have stashed the money.

Chakraborty, after submitting the documents and recording his statement, had also talked to a top ED official in Kolkata “assuring all help in the future.”The central probe agency had in June last year questioned the actor in Mumbai after it detected that an amount of about Rs two crore had gone into his account from Saradha business portals.

ED subsequently summoned him again early this year following which the latest questioning happened. During his recording of statement last year, Chakraborty had reportedly told investigators that he had “no business dealings” with the now-defunct group headed by Sudipta Sen and that he would share all personal transaction details with them.

ED sources had earlier said Chakraborty was reportedly sent the said amount for being the brand ambassador of a media platform floated by the Saradha group, which has been accused of cheating numerous gullible investors.

The agency had registered a criminal case under PMLA in 2013 and has already questioned a number of people including sitting MPs and political leaders in this regard.

The agency, till now, has found that a maze of 338 bank accounts and 224 companies were used by the perpetrators of the ponzi scam which allegedly duped investors in various states including West Bengal, Odisha and Assam.

The CBI, probing the case on the directions of the Supreme Court, had recently filed a chargesheet in a court.