West Bengal Transport Minister, Madan Mitra, will appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today in connection with the multi crore Saradha scam.

Mitra was summoned by the central agency on November 15. He had then received an e-mail from the agency asking him to appear for questioning.

However, the minister citing health reasons had sought relaxation from questioning.

After being discharged from hospital later in November, he called up the CBI expressing his availability.

The Transport minister is expected to be there at the CBI's Kolkata office in Salt Lake around 11 am.

So far, the CBI has arrested Trinamool Congress MP, Srinjoy Bose; suspended MP Kunal Ghosh and party functionary, Rajat Majumdar along with three other people - Debabrata Sarkar, Sandhir Agarwal and Sadanand Gogoi - in connection with the Saradha scam.

The Saradha group, involved in various ponzi schemes, went bust in April 2013 duping thousands of small investors across West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Bihar and Odisha. Its chairman, Sudipta Sen arrested after the scam broke out by West Bengal police; has since then been in jail.

Charge-sheet in Odisha investigations

The CBI has meanwhile filed a charge-sheet in the ongoing Odisha Chit Fund Scam probe that involves the Artha Tatwa Group.

According to a CBI spokesperson, a charge sheet has been filed in Arthatatwa case against 16 persons and several Artha Tatwa group companies under various sections of the Indian Penal Code - dealing with cheating, breach of trust, criminal conspiracy - and also under sections of Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning ) Act.

Some of the persons named include Asok Mohanty, Ex AG Odisha; Pravat Tripathy, MLA Odisha; PK Sethi, CMD, AT Group amongst others.

"Further investigation with regard to role of other persons in larger conspiracy, money trail and role of other agencies continues," the spokesperson said.

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