Saradha scam: Madan Mitra's judicial custody extended till December 31

Kolkata: The judicial custody of Trinamool Congress leader and former West Bengal minister Madan Mitra, an accused in the Saradha chit fund scam, was on Thursday extended by a city court by another 14 days till December 31.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Sougata Roy Chowdhury passed the order after Mitra's counsel did not press for bail but requested that he be treated as a Division-I prisoner besides being extended all necessary medical assistance as he was suffering from various ailments.

Mitra, former transport minister who was arrested on December 12, 2014, had surrendered before the court after his bail was cancelled by Calcutta High Court on November 20.

Meanwhile, another accused city-based entrepreneur and chairman of the now-defunct Xenitis Group, Santunu Ghosh and Arindam Das, alias Bumba, a close aide of Saradha scam mastermind Sudipta Sen were also remanded to 14-day judicial custody.

Ghosh, whose business included computer and computer components manufacturing and automobile business, is said to have taken a huge loan from Saradha group but did not return the money. Das was allegedly involved in operating the money spinning schemes of the ponzi company in the state.