Ex-Trinamool Congres MP KD Singh, who was arrested on Wednesday by ED (Enforcement Directorate) in relation with the Alchemist chit-fund scam, enquired about BJP leaders Mukul Roy and Kailash Vijayvargiya.
According to a report carried by Anandabazar Patrika, during his interrogation by ED, Singh wanted to know if Roy and Vijayvargiya had made any statement about the development.
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The reason for the former Rajya Sabha MP’s enquiry about the BJP leaders, though, remained unclear. While he was believed to have a close association with Roy during their time in TMC, his connection with Vijayvargiya is unknown.
Roy refused to speak much about Singh’s arrest and only said that the central agency was acting as per law.
Vijayvargiya, on the other hand, said, “Mamata Banerjee should be asked why he was made an MP. She was seen with him on aeroplane and helicopter. The Chief Minister must answer why ED arrested someone whom she had made an MP.”
Singh had been summoned several times in connection with the Alchemist chit-fund case before he was finally arrested on Wednesday.
He has been accused of money laundering and siphoning off Rs 200 crore from thousands of common citizens in the name of chit-fund. He has been arrested under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
After his stint at the upper house of Parliament with a ticket of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Singh had joined TMC. He was a TMC representative at the Rajya Sabha from 2014 to 2020.
During his time as a Trinamool lawmaker, Singh had established many businesses in West Bengal, including the Alchemist chit-fund. He has had investment in North Bengal’s tea gardens as well.
Reportedly, the Mamata Banerjee-led party has been maintaining distance with Singh ever since his business ran into problems. His stay at the Rajya Sabha was also not extended, as a result.
Interestingly, Singh’s name had appeared during the Narada case as well. He was believed to have funded the sting operation which had exposed several heavyweight TMC leaders taking cash in 2016, including Mukul Roy, who was the party’s second-in-command then.