CBI forcing me to name CM Mamata Banerjee in Saradha scam: Madan Mitra

Kolkata: Making explosive allegations against the CBI, arrested West Bengal transport minister Madan Mitra on Tuesday accused that the agency sleuths are trying to pressurise him to name Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as a beneficiary in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam.

“They (the CBI) are coercing me to take the CM’s name as if she had financially benefited from the scam. They are also forcing me to give my voice sample recording for test. Those who interrogate me cover their faces with black robes to create an environment of terror. Actually their aim is to kill me mentally,” he told additional chief judicial magistrate Haradhan Mukherjee.

The heavyweight leader pleaded “Please do not send me to CBI custody again. Please grant me bail on any condition. I will not disappear.”

His argument in self-defence came after CBI lawyer Partha Sarathi Dutta prayed for extension of Mr Mitra’s remand by five more days and allow the CBI to conduct Mr Mitra’s voice sample recording test. The agency got the custody of Mr Mitra extended till December 19.

Meanwhile, in Parliament, belligerent Trinamool MPs made vain attempts to corner the Centre charging it with misusing CBI in the Saradha scam and walked out twice from the Lok Sabha, even as Centre said it was ready to discuss the issue.

When Trinamool MP Saugata Roy raised the issue during Zero Hour alleging that the investigating agency was being “politically manipulated by the BJP to weaken the West Bengal government”, several ruling party members stood up in protest and Speaker Sumitra Mahajan asked another member to speak.