CBI arrests Bengal film producer in Rose Valley case

Kolkata, Jan 24 (IANS) Bengal film producer Shrikant Mohta was on Thursday arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the multi-crore rupee Rose Valley Chit Fund scam, an official said."Mohta has been arrested following interrogation in connection with the Rose Valley Chit fund scam as the officials concerned found many of his statements unsatisfactory," a senior CBI official told IANS.Mohta is the co-founder of Shree Venkatesh Films (SVF), which has produced over 120 films, including 'Chokher Bali' and 'Memories in March'.The officials first interrogated Mohta at his office at a lavish south Kolkata complex and later took him to the agency's office in Salt Lake for further interrogation where he was arrested.He is likely to be taken to Bhubaneswar and produced before a court on Friday.The CBI had attached assets including resorts, hotels, land parcels worth Rs 2,300 crore across districts of West Bengal.The agency has been probing the diversion of funds from the Rose Valley Group's deposit-taking companies.Under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the agency had registered an FIR against the company and Chairman Gautam Kundu in 2014, who was arrested the next year.The CBI had recovered incriminating documents, gold ornaments and precious stones worth Rs 40 crore during searches at showrooms at a jewellery house in the ponzi scheme.
--IANS mgr/rs/mr