<p>A close associate of Saradha scam main accused Sudipta Sen was today arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with its probe in the multi- crore ponzi scheme.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The agency, sources said, arrested 40-year-old Prashanto Naskar after few hours of interrogation at its Salt Lake office here.<br /><br />"Naskar has been working as an agent of Saradha schemes in the Bishnupur area of the state for long. He was also active as a political muscleman in the area and had close connections with a TMC leader and strong links with Sen," a source said.<br /><br />The ED, the sources said, found Naskar was allegedly in possession of a huge number of movable and immovable assets in Bishnupur area and used to extort money from depositors in lieu of getting them huge returns.<br />This is the fifth arrest by the central probe agency in this chit fund scam case, after it registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, apart from a similar probe by the CBI.<br /><br />Prominent among those arrested by the agency in this case include Sudipta's wife Piyali and son Subhojit who were apprehended last year.<br />Naskar will be produced in a court here tomorrow for extension of his custody after which he is expected to be confronted with a number of seized documents and statements made by other accused in the case.<br /><br />Sources said Naskar holds, in a 'benami' way, vast tracts of land in and around Bishnupur and lives in a house which is plush with modern facilities and a large swimming pool which is suspected to have been procured through illegal means and from the "proceeds of crime" of the scam.<br /><br />The agency, in its probe till now, has unearthed a number of properties under his "illegal" possession and some bank accounts which have a "substantial" cash holding in them.<br /><br />ED which has questioned various TMC MPs and other people in this scam case, including Sen, has attached assets worth Rs 500 crore till now in this probe.</p>
<p>A close associate of Saradha scam main accused Sudipta Sen was today arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with its probe in the multi- crore ponzi scheme.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The agency, sources said, arrested 40-year-old Prashanto Naskar after few hours of interrogation at its Salt Lake office here.<br /><br />"Naskar has been working as an agent of Saradha schemes in the Bishnupur area of the state for long. He was also active as a political muscleman in the area and had close connections with a TMC leader and strong links with Sen," a source said.<br /><br />The ED, the sources said, found Naskar was allegedly in possession of a huge number of movable and immovable assets in Bishnupur area and used to extort money from depositors in lieu of getting them huge returns.<br />This is the fifth arrest by the central probe agency in this chit fund scam case, after it registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, apart from a similar probe by the CBI.<br /><br />Prominent among those arrested by the agency in this case include Sudipta's wife Piyali and son Subhojit who were apprehended last year.<br />Naskar will be produced in a court here tomorrow for extension of his custody after which he is expected to be confronted with a number of seized documents and statements made by other accused in the case.<br /><br />Sources said Naskar holds, in a 'benami' way, vast tracts of land in and around Bishnupur and lives in a house which is plush with modern facilities and a large swimming pool which is suspected to have been procured through illegal means and from the "proceeds of crime" of the scam.<br /><br />The agency, in its probe till now, has unearthed a number of properties under his "illegal" possession and some bank accounts which have a "substantial" cash holding in them.<br /><br />ED which has questioned various TMC MPs and other people in this scam case, including Sen, has attached assets worth Rs 500 crore till now in this probe.</p>