Kolkata, Sep 8 (IANS): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has asked West Bengal Commerce and Industry Minister Partha Chatterjee to appear before the probe agency with regard to the I-Core chit fund scam in September. A notice regarding this has been sent to Chatterjee.

It has been learnt that the CBI has found direct relation of Chatterjee with I-Core group and they want to interrogate him on the basis of that. Sources in CBI revealed that the premier investigation agency has found a video clip where Chatterjee was found with I-Core chief Anukul Maity on the stage in a program and Chatterjee was heard speaking in favour of I-Core.

"The date of the video clip dates back to a time when there were several complaints against I-Core and so it would be interesting to learn why, being a minister of the state, Chatterjee went to the program and spoke in favour of I-Core that might have influenced the people. Not only that, during interrogation, on several occasions, Chatterjee's name popped up and we want to know the exact details from the state minister," a CBI officer said.

This is not the first time but there were several other occasions when the central agencies like CBI and ED had issued notices to Partha Chatterjee but he had avoided the interrogation citing his engagement in election and other political programs.

In April this year ED had sent a notice to Chatterjee but he didn't turn up saying that he was busy with his election campaign. "We hope this time he turns up, else we will have to think of something else," the officer said.

The I-Core chit fund scam broke in 2015 when the Central Investigation Agency arrested the chief of I-Core group Anukul Maity allegedly for illegally mobilising funds collected from small investors to the tune of Rs 3,000 crore. Maity who faced charges of money laundering was lodged in a jail in Bhubaneswar where he died in November 2020.