Saradha: minister says he's fit, ready to face CBI grilling

West Bengal Transport Minister Madan Mitra, who had been summoned by CBI for questioning over the Saradha scam but could not face it due to illness, today said he was now fit and ready to face the grilling.

"Now I am keeping well, though I need rest for some time more. Whatever it is, I am fit. I shall go to CBI whenever it calls me for questioning," Mitra said during an interview to a local TV Channel.

The Trinamool Congress leader admitted that he was suffering from tension to face the questioning.

"I can't deny that I am having tension to face questioning by CBI. This is because I need some sort of preparation to reply to them properly to help them unravel the truth," Mitra said.

"CBI is an important probe agency in India and known all over the world. Let it ask me. I shall try to reply them properly to help the agency," Mitra said.

Mitra, who had been also served summons by CBI regarding the questioning in Saradha Scam, was admitted to state-run SSKM hospital in the last week of November after a brief stay at the private clinic in the city complaining of breathlessness.

Facing flak from the opposition allegedly for trying to evade the questioning in the
Saradha scam by CBI, Mitra said, "I don't give importance to their criticism. Some CPI(M) members whose names came up in the case too were also sick, but I will never criticise them."

To a question about why he has been targeted by the opposition in the Saradha Scam, Mitra said "Ask those who have targeted me."

"I am in no way involved in the Saradha scam and not a single allegation against me is true," Mitra said when asked about allegations by opposition that he took benefits from Saradha Group Chairman Sudipto Sen.

"I have not taken a single paisa from the Saradha Group. I only attended a programme organised by it without knowing its background or activities as a chitfund company. I regret this," Mitra said.

"I have no involvement with the activities of Saradha Group. I never asked investors to deposit money there. Rather I am against any activities involving chitfund," he said adding he neither an employee of the Saradha Group, nor had any business agreement with it.