CBI arrests businessman Sandhir Agarwal in Saradha scam

The Central Bureau of Investigation late on Saturday arrested city-based businessman Sandhir Agarwal in connection with the multi-crore rupee Saradha scam. Mr. Agarwal is the second person to be arrested by the central investigation agency in a week in connection with the scam which it is probing since May 2014 on the directions of the Supreme Court. The CBI had on Wednesday >arrested East Bengal Football club official Debabrata Sarkar. Mr. Agarwal was questioned by the agency for several hours before being arrested. He is son of businessman Sajjan Agarwal. His name surfaced in the letter written by Saradha chairman and managing director Sudipta Sen to the CBI in April 2013. In the letter, Mr. Sen had alleged that Mr. Sarkar and others including Mr. Agarwal, took Rs. 400000000 from him, to cover up a probe then being conducted by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Mr. Agarwal’s statement did not match with that of Mr. Sarkar, which led to the arrest. He has been charged with criminal conspiracy and cheating and will be produced before a court on Sunday, a CBI official told journalists. His father Sajjan Agarwal has also been summoned by the CBI but he has sighted ill health as the reason for not appearing before the agency. On Saturday the CBI also questioned former Director General (Armed Police) of the State Rajat Majumdar for several hours in connection with the scam. Mr Majumdar was the security officer of the scam tainted group and has close links to All India Trinamool Congress.