ED summons Bengali movie star Rituparna Sengupta in Rose Valley probe; to inquire about her alleged travels abroad with the company’s funds

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday summoned Bengali film actor Rituparna Sengupta in connection with the Rose Valley chit fund probe.

Yesterday, actor Prasenjit Chatterjee was asked by the ED to be present in their office for questioning in connection with the same probe on July 19 in their Salt Lake office.

Sources said that the ED officers have come across several inputs after interrogating Rose Valley owner Gautam Kundu in prison and the series of summons issued to various people are thus being made.

Sengupta had allegedly travelled abroad with Rose Valley funds and was connected to the group in various ways, so the Central investigating agency officers want to probe the financial aspects of the link, if any. The company is charged with duping hundreds of investors in West Bengal and in some other states. There are allegations of transferring a huge amount of money abroad, and the ED authorities want to find out whether this is true and how it may have been done.

Prasenjit Chatterjee had apparently attended some programmes organised by Rose Valley and the ED authorities are interested in learning the details of the association, and whether or not this had any financial bearing.

Earlier this week, the ED officers interrogated Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra in connection with the Rose Valley chit fund probe. Another Trinamool Congress leader, the party’s MP Satabdi Roy, has been called by the Central investigating agency in connection with the Saradha chit fund probe.

ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have been conducting the two probes and several key persons are being questioned in this context.

On Monday, Mitra was questioned for nearly four hours. Sources said that he was asked about his links with the company owner Gautam Kundu. Mitra may be called by the ED for the probe subsequently as well.

Meanwhile, Roy has been called by the ED for probing the Saradha chit fund scam. The Trinamool MP, a former Bengali film actor, was a brand ambassador for a company under Saradha during its heydays. The investigating agency is keen on learning the financial aspects of Roy’s links with the company.

Also, businessman Shibaji Panja has been summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe his alleged links in the Saradha chit fund scam. Among others, artist Suvaprasanna and former CPIM leader Lakshman Seth have already been interrogated by the two central investigating agencies.