CBI chargesheets Nalini Chidambaram in Saradha scam

New Delhi: Trouble is mounting for former Union minister P. Chidambaram’s family, with his wife Nalini Chidambaram being chargesheeted on Friday by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Saradha chit fund case, for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹ 1.4 crore.

The chargesheet, which was filed in the special CBI court at Barasat in Kolkata, alleged that “she entered into a criminal conspiracy with Sudipta Sen, the proprietor of Saradha group, and other accused persons with an intention of cheating and misappropriation of funds of Saradha group of companies,” a CBI spokesperson in New Delhi said.

The CBI alleges that Manoranjana Sinh, estranged wife of former Union minister Matang Sinh, introduced Sen to Nalini Chidambaram to manage the probes by various organisations such as the Securities and Exchange Board of India and the registrar of companies against him for which she allegedly received ₹ 1.4 crore in 2010-12 through his companies, the spokesperson said.

The chargesheet, the sixth filed in the Saradha scam. also names Anubhuti Printers and Publications Pvt. Ltd and Sudipta Sen as co-accused.

The Saradha group had raised ₹ 2,500 crore from people by luring them with attractive interest rates, which were not paid. She had closed the operations of the company in 2013 after failing to pay returns. She could not be reached for comment.