Abu Hasem leaves the CBI officer after his questioning. Picture by Mayukh Sengupta

Calcutta, Sept. 22: The CBI today questioned Malda Congress MP Abu Hasem Khan Chowdhury in connection with two conflicting letters he had written to the Prime Minister about the Saradha Group in 2011 and 2012.

“We wanted to clarify certain things from Chowdhury, like what had happened between 2011 and 2012 that prompted him to change his assessment of Sudipta Sen. He had complained about him in his first letter,” a senior CBI officer in Calcutta said today. “We also had inputs about the growth of the group in Malda around this period.”

Abu Hasem said he had provided “all details” the CBI sought. “I never had any meeting with Sudipta Sen,” he added.

The Malda South MP came under the CBI scanner because of a letter he had written in September 2011 to then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. In the letter, Abu Hasem had explained how several fund-mobilising companies in Bengal, including the Saradha Group, were collecting money violating laid-down norms.

He had also questioned the Bengal government’s alleged inaction on the functioning of such firms.

But in another letter on March 15, 2012, Abu Hasem gave a “clean chit” to Saradha chief Sen.

The second letter mentioned Saradha Realty, one of the four companies of the group now under CBI scanner, saying the company “is conducting a prosperous and successful realty business in West Bengal” and ruling out Sen’s connection with the “ill reputed Sanchayani Savings…”

The letter went on to add that Saradha Realty “is not in any chit fund, microfinance or NBFC (deposit) business and may, therefore, be out of the purview of the Reserve Bank of India”.

Sources in the CBI said today’s questioning focused on what prompted the Congress MP to change his mind and give the “clean chit” to Sen and Saradha Realty.

The CBI lodged an FIR against Saradha Realty in June this year.

A week before Abu Hasem’s questioning, a team from the Enforcement Directorate probing Saradha’s money trail had gone to Malda and attached 11 plots acquired by the Saradha Group in Englishbazar.

Sources said the CBI, which is probing the “larger conspiracy”, was zeroing in on Sen’s political contacts who may have aided him in ensuring that the group flourished between 2011 and 2012 in pockets of Malda.

“We would like to find out if any political power was at play behind the sudden rise of the Saradha Group,” an officer said. “We have summoned (Trinamul MP) Subhendu Adhikari to find out about East Midnapore and have also questioned Rabin Deb of the CPM.”

Srinjoy summons

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Trinamul MP Srinjoy Bose for questioning next week.

ED sources said Bose’s questioning followed depositions by some officials of soccer clubs in connection with the alleged sponsorship deals with the Saradha Group between 2008 and 2012. Bose, a functionary of Mohun Bagan club, has been earlier questioned by the CBI.