Bhubaneswar,Dec.21: The Special Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court here allowed the CBI to take senior journalist Suman Chattopadhyay on a 3-day remand in connection with a ponzi scam.
The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Chattopadhyay, editor of a leading Bengali daily and also a director in Disha Productions and Media Private Limited (DPMPL), on Thursday for his alleged involvement in I-Core Group chit fund scam.
The CBI in 2014 had begun a probe into the affairs of the I-Core Group following a Supreme Court order. The apex court had asked the CBI to investigate all non-Saradha (Group) fund mobilising companies.
During the investigation, the central agency found that a huge amount of fund was collected illegally by the I-Core Group. Besides, a portion of the fund was allegedly diverted in the accounts of DPMPL as well as the personal account of Chattopadhyay.
Notably, the company had raised funds to the tune of Rs 3000 crore, mainly in Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal, through its ponzi schemes that promised returns at much higher rates.
Prasanta Patnaik