ED quizzes Rituparna Sengupta over 'ration scam'

Tollywood actress Rituparna Sengupta faced interrogators of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for close to five hours on Wednesday at the CGO Complex office in Salt Lake in connection with the agency’s ongoing probe into the alleged irregularities in the public distribution system (PDS) across Bengal.

Senior ED officers said that Sengupta’s questioning was necessitated after they stumbled upon “alleged transactions”, amounting to several lakhs, between one of the beneficiaries of the alleged ration scam and Sengupta’s firm during their probe.

The ED is trying to trace the alleged path that the “proceeds of crime” of the ration scam travelled. Investigators said it was necessary to question Sengupta to get her views about the alleged transactions.

“We would want to record her explanation about the alleged transactions as a part of our probe to trace the trail that the proceeds of crime had travelled,” a senior officer of the investigating agency had said earlier.

On Wednesday, Sengupta reached the CGO office of the ED around 1pm armed with a set of documents, her accountant and her legal adviser in tow.

After leaving the office, the award-winning actress said she had no connection with the reported irregularities.

“I have no connection with these irregularities. I was asked to givee some documents in connection with the investigation. I have submitted them. They are happy with my cooperation and so am I,” Sengupta told reporters later.

She refused to divulge if the ED asked her to appear for another round of questioning or the alleged transactions. “I won’t be able to comment on anything beyond what I’ve said. They (ED officers) are happy with my cooperation,” Sengupta told reporters. “There are certain things between the department (ED) and me. We won’t be able to speak anything beyond this.”

Sengupta was initially summoned by the ED on June 5, but couldn’t make it since she was abroad.

Source: Telegraph Online

BDST: 1415 HRS, JUNE 20, 2024
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