CBI Arrests Mamata Close Aide and Popular Film Producer Shrikant Mohta in Rose Valley Scam Case

Kolkata: The CBI has arrested Shrikant Mohta, the founder of Shree Venkatesh Films Entertainment Pvt Ltd, in connection with Rose Valley chit fund scam on Thursday in Kolkata. He is likely to be taken to Bhubaneswar and produced in Court on Friday.

Mohta, who was earlier in the news for encroaching land of Calcutta Port Trust and building a studio on the land, is believed to be close to West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and several other top TMC leaders.

“He had taken Rs 25 crore from Gautam Kundu, the head of Rose Valley who is now in prison. Inquiry revealed that Mohta had allegedly produced several films with that money. He even threatened Kundu on being asked to return his money,” a CBI officer said.

The state BJP has welcomed Mohta’s arrest.

“I am sure everybody in the film industry will support his arrest. The CBI is doing the right thing,” Locket Chatterjee, an actor-turned BJP leader told News18.

In an interesting turn of events, Mohta called up the local police station complaining about “a few outsiders threatening his staff”, when a team of six officers reached his office in South Kolkata’s Kasba area for interrogation on Thursday morning.

When the police rushed to his house, they were greeted by the CBI, as a result of which, they left. Mohta reportedly called up the local police to buy some time to consult his lawyers.

After questioning him for three hours, the CBI sleuths seized important documents and took him to their Salt Lake office amid high drama.

“We had sent him three notices to appear before us regarding the case but he never responded. We arrested him only after thorough interrogation. We have got names of a few more influential people who will be sent notices soon,” an officer said.

SVF is the leading production house responsible for distributing Bengali films and has produced National Award winning films like Chokher Bali, Raincoat, Iti Mrinalini and Chander Pahar.

Mohta’s arrest comes months after CM Banerjee blocked the CBI from probing in West Bengal without informing the state government.

Several top leaders of the Trinamool Congress are named in the Rose Valley scam. In fact, TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay was arrested by the CBI on charges of alleged links with Kundu in 2017.