Stockbroker Ashok Poddar arrested

KOLKATA: Absconding stockbroker Ashok Kumar Poddar, wanted in connection with the Rs 120 crore scam at Calcutta Stock Exchange, was arrested at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport on Thursday night, the police said.
Poddar was taken into custody as he flew into the city from Guwahati travelling on a false indentity, police said.
Poddar was last of the three prime accused to have been arrested in the scam. Investigations were initiated following an FIR by the CSE in September.
The other two prime accused Harish Chander Biyani and Dinesh Kumar Singhania, former president of CSE, were arrested on September 23 and November 20 respectively.
The total number of arrests in the case has gone up to 17 and include former CEO and MD of Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited B V Gaud, a senior vice-president of IndusInd Bank S N Paul and former MD of SREI Securities Dinesh Jain.
Former vice-president of CSE K K Daga was arrested on charges of not acting promptly despite being informed by IndusInd Bank about return of margin cheques issued by the three prime accused and their firms in March 2001.
Paul was charged with delaying by two days passing of information to CSE after cheques issued by the three were dishonoured. He was also charged for conspiring with Gaud and Biyani with the motive to dupe the exchange.