Former state transport minister and rebel TMC MLA Suvendu Adhikari has urged the CBI probing the Saradha chit fund scam to verify the authenticity of Sudipta Sen’s letter to prime minister Narenda Modi and chief minister- Mamata Banerjee.

Adhikari has written to the CBI director Rishi Kumar Shukla and joint director (Kolkata zone) on 10 December and claimed some influential persons along with Presidency Correctional Home authorities might be instrumental behind the letter to Modi and Miss Banerjee.

Sen, prime accused in the Saradha chit fund case, had written the letter on 1 December from jail, four days after- Suvendu resigned from the state Cabinet. Sen in his letter had named five leaders belonging to the CPI-M, Congress and TMC who had taken money in crores from the him in different phases.

“It is learnt from media reports that a letter dated 01.12.2020 has been written by the said undertrial prisoner Sudipta Sen suddenly after so many years alleging that five politicians have taken huge amount of money from him. On such ground he has requested the CBI and the state police for investigations and necessary action. His letter further contains one of his causes of pain to be such persons “. . .now joining BJP”, Suvendu’s letter to the CBI stated.

“Peculiarly, the internal communications between the Presidency Correctional Home and the ADG and IG of Correctional Services, West Bengal being a memorandum dated 01.12.2020 enclosing the said purported letter of the undertrial prisoner was given wide media publicity,” according to the letter.

“From the sequence of events narrated hereinabove, it is my genuine apprehension that there exist suspicious circumstances behind writing of such letter by the accused Sudipta Sen under duress and influence of the Jail Authorities and in connivance with very influential persons, There is a very well founded apprehension that the said author of the letter is either being influenced or on the contrary holding back information apropos the said scam,” it said.

He has urged CBI to take up his letter seriously and consider every aspect of Sen’s letter. Adhikari was unavailable for comment.