Saradha chit-fund scam: Madan Mitra surrenders before Kolkata court

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and former West Bengal minister Madan Mitra, who is an accused in the Saradha Chit-fund scam, surrendered before the Alipore Sessions Court on Thursday.

"Saw on TV that the court ordered me to surrender, I am following that order. I am a law abiding citizen," he told reporters outside the court premises.

Calcutta High Court earlier on Thursday had cancelled the bail of Mitra and had asked him to surrender.

Allowing a petition by CBI pleading to cancel the bail granted by a lower court on October 31, a division bench of Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice Tapas Mukherjee asked Mitra, to surrender immediately after receiving a copy of the court's order.

Mitra's counsel S K Kapur had sought seven days time to surrender, but the court rejected it.

During the hearing Mitra's lawyer argued that there is no evidence of tampering by his client who is "not a history-sheeter".

Mitra, who was arrested by CBI on December 12, 2014, for alleged complicity in the Saradha scam, was granted bail by Alipore court on October 31.

Later on Calcutta High Court directed that Mitra would remain in house confinement under police surveillance till the disposal of CBI's plea for cancellation of his bail.

Madan, who was the state's Transport Minister, submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday hours after CBI argued before the Calcutta High Court that his bail be cancelled. It was then forwarded to Governor K N Tripathi.

Citing his capacity to influence as a cabinet minister, the CBI had yesterday argued before the court that he could tamper with evidence as investigators are trying to find out the money trail.

The minister's bail prayers had been rejected by trial courts on a few occasions earlier and once by the High Court.