Rose Valley scam: After arrest of 2 MPs, CBI lens now on top actress

Kolkata: After arresting two Trinamul Congress Lok Sabha MPs within a week, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is now planning to summon a popular Bengali actress in Tollywood soon for questionning in Rose Valley chit fund scam after she came under its radar for her role behind an overseas deal.

It suspects that the filmstar, who lives with her family in south Kolkata, played a key role in a Hawala network through which Mr Kundu allegedly tried to send around Rs 300 crores abroad. She had even accompanied Mr Kundu on several foreign trips and helped him closely in the sale and production of many Bengali movies under Rose Valley banner.

The actress was scheduled to address a press meet on films in the city on Tuesday, sources elaborated. She however skipped the event at the eleventh hour following the arrest of Sudip Bandopadhyay, the Trinamul Parliamentary Party leader in the afternoon, sources disclosed.

According to sources, the actress, the CBI found, had introduced Mr Kundu to her relative: an NRI businessman, based in Singapore, who deals in arranging capital to revivie a sick company’s business.

She then supervised a deal of around Rs 300 crores between Mr Kundu and her relative on the pretext of reviving such a business in 2011, sources revealed.

Within few days of the deal, nearly Rs 63 crores out of the total amount, were however transferred by Mr Kundu in one transaction through the bank account of one of his employees, also based in Singapore, to the bank account of the filmstar’s relative, sources added.

Recovering some clinching evidence from the financial documents of Rose Valley Group the CBI has found that the deal was aimed at turning Mr Kundu’s illegal income into legal through the Hawala network.