In Rose Valley Scam, Arrested CEO's Wife With Investigator, Suggests CCTV

Kolkata: The investigation into the Rose Valley chit fund or Ponzi scheme that sent two Trinamool Congress MPs to jail last month has lurched into sex scandal turf and may be brought up in Parliament soon.

CCTV footage from a hotel in Delhi shows one the nodal officer investigating the case, Manoj Kumar - or someone who looks very much like him- checking into a Delhi hotel with a woman who resembles Subhra Kundu, wife of Gautam Kundu, who headed the Rose Valley conglomerate accused of a 17,000-crore swindle that centred on small, unregulated savings schemes.

Rose Valley's interests include real estate and entertainment. Mr Kundu was arrested in 2015.

Last night, CCTV footage emerged from police sources that showed Mrs Kundu entering the Kolkata airport and later checking into a hotel in Delhi last month with Mr Kumar, who is Assistant Director of the Enforcement Directorate, which investigates financial crimes.

Mr Kumar has reportedly blamed the controversy on "personal vendetta." Sources say Mrs Kundu has recently filed for divorce from Mr Kundu.

The Enforcement Directorate said it has ordered an investigation, and "strict disciplinary action" will follow if charges are proved true.

The footage was tracked down by Kolkata Police after links emerged between the Enforcement Directorate officer and Mrs Kundu in a probe into a hawala or money-laundering case in central Kolkata in December. During a raid on the office of a chartered accountant firm, police came across a computer file named "Mrs Rose Valley." Investigations revealed Mr Kumar had put her in touch with the firm which assisted her in transacting 15 crores.

The Rose Valley scam led last month to the arrests of two senior leaders of Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress. Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Tapas Pal were arrested for allegedly enabling the swindling of small investors across West Bengal through their close links to the company.