The Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) has asked CBI, Enforcement Directorate and other agencies for better coordination to ensure speedy completion of black money-related cases including the Saradha chitfund scam.
During a recent meeting of the high-powered panel, both the ED and the CBI have been asked to exchange charge sheets in all the cases which pertain to black money especially the multi-crore rupees Saradha scam that allegedly duped numerous investors in West Bengal, Assam, Odisha and other states.
The CBI was asked to share information with the ED and vice-versa. The agencies have been asked to file their charge sheets and complaints, sources privy to the development said.
The SIT, headed by former Supreme Court judge M B Shah and Vice Chairman Justice (retd) Arijit Pasayat, also asked the agencies including the Income Tax department to tap sectors like education and health care management to check instances of black money generation.
The SIT has sought information from the public regarding measures that can been taken to tackle the menace. The panel hence asked the agencies to tap sectors like healthcare, education and hospitality for possible tax evasion and violations of the anti-money laundering laws, the sources said.
The panel also reviewed the progress made by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) with regard to the final assessment and prosecution being carried out in the HSBC Geneva branch account holders, as the deadline for action against them under tax evasion laws is March 31.
The SIT, sources said, was briefed about the action taken by all the central probe agencies in the last few months and also about their ideas and inputs based on recent announcements made in the latest Budget speech by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
