KOLKATA: A host of NGOs and trusts that received funds from Saradha CEO Sudipta Sen have their operations in Burdwan. This has prompted the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to track the money trail. According to sources, one of the NGOs is owned by a Bengal politician's wife.
ED officials came to know about the Burdwan connect of the NGOs and trusts during interrogation in the last couple of weeks. "We are trying to find out how many of them were active in Burdwan," said an ED official. The central investigating agency is already looking into the wealth of Saradha allegedly being used to fuel terror activities in India by a Bangladesh-based group. The agency has also been looking into the role of an influential politician in stashing money in Bangladesh.
The sleuths have already sent a team to Burdwan to find out where did the terror outfits get funds from. The agency is also looking into past cases of blasts in Burdwan in the wake of the Khagragarh incident. "We now feel that all of these were part of an organized racket with several modules active within the district. So, the question came up — who was funding them? The team will try to join the missing links to find a bigger conspiracy behind these incidents," the ED official said.
One of the organizations under scanner is a south-Kolkata based NGO run by an influential political leader. The NGO, primarily into healthcare delivery system in rural areas, had been getting regular funding from the Saradha Group. During a search conducted at the NGO's office in south Kolkata, ED officials have come across documents which establish connections beyond mere financial transactions.
"Nature of transaction of the NGO had been suspicious. When we started digging deeper we found that it was also getting regular funding from overseas," said an ED official. Investigators believe that the NGO, where an influential political leader of an opposition party is the chairman, had a role to play in distributing money in several districts of the state, including Burdwan.
The investigating agency has also come across several trusts where Sudipta had been sending money on a regular basis.
"It is too early to comment on whether Saradha money was re-routed in the state to fund any such activity. But, some of the NGOs and trusts which had connections with Saradha had been pushing in money in Burdwan," an investigator said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs has asked for a report from CBI in the Burdwan blast case. CBI sources, however, said that though the Hawala channel to Bangladesh cannot be ruled out, they are yet to find out any such evidence connecting terrorism with Saradha.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Saradha-funded-NGOs-have-operations-in-Burdwan/articleshow/44842232.cms
ED officials came to know about the Burdwan connect of the NGOs and trusts during interrogation in the last couple of weeks. "We are trying to find out how many of them were active in Burdwan," said an ED official. The central investigating agency is already looking into the wealth of Saradha allegedly being used to fuel terror activities in India by a Bangladesh-based group. The agency has also been looking into the role of an influential politician in stashing money in Bangladesh.
The sleuths have already sent a team to Burdwan to find out where did the terror outfits get funds from. The agency is also looking into past cases of blasts in Burdwan in the wake of the Khagragarh incident. "We now feel that all of these were part of an organized racket with several modules active within the district. So, the question came up — who was funding them? The team will try to join the missing links to find a bigger conspiracy behind these incidents," the ED official said.
One of the organizations under scanner is a south-Kolkata based NGO run by an influential political leader. The NGO, primarily into healthcare delivery system in rural areas, had been getting regular funding from the Saradha Group. During a search conducted at the NGO's office in south Kolkata, ED officials have come across documents which establish connections beyond mere financial transactions.
"Nature of transaction of the NGO had been suspicious. When we started digging deeper we found that it was also getting regular funding from overseas," said an ED official. Investigators believe that the NGO, where an influential political leader of an opposition party is the chairman, had a role to play in distributing money in several districts of the state, including Burdwan.
The investigating agency has also come across several trusts where Sudipta had been sending money on a regular basis.
"It is too early to comment on whether Saradha money was re-routed in the state to fund any such activity. But, some of the NGOs and trusts which had connections with Saradha had been pushing in money in Burdwan," an investigator said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs has asked for a report from CBI in the Burdwan blast case. CBI sources, however, said that though the Hawala channel to Bangladesh cannot be ruled out, they are yet to find out any such evidence connecting terrorism with Saradha.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Saradha-funded-NGOs-have-operations-in-Burdwan/articleshow/44842232.cms
