New Delhi: A fresh controversy has erupted over alleged attempts made by a top bureaucrat in the Union home ministry to stall the arrest of former Congress MP Matang Sinh, arrested by the CBI in the Saradha chit fund scam on Saturday.

Home minister Rajnath Singh was on Tuesday apprised of the media reports speculating about the alleged role of a top bureaucrat of his ministry in the matter. Meanwhile, the CBI is believed to have sent a report to the Prime Minister’s Office in this regard, sources in the agency said.

Top sources in the home ministry said that while no official complaint has been received by the home minister’s office, if there was any wrongdoing by any officer or conduct rules have been flouted by any official in the ministry, stern action, like curtailment of tenure, can be taken.

On Tuesday, sources in the MHA said, “The home minister has been notified of the matter and may seek a clarification from the official.” Meanwhile, the top MHA official in question was not in the national capital on Tuesday and also unavailable for comment.

Reacting to the issue, minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju said so far there has been nothing concrete against the official and whatever reports appeared in the media were only “hearsay”.

Reacting to reports of an official involved in trying to stall the arrest of former Congress MP Matang Sinh in Saradha Scam, Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju said “So far, there is nothing concrete, only hearsay. If something comes in substantive, we will take a call accordingly.”

CBI director Anil Sinha also refused to comment. “Do I ever talk on such a subject,” Sinha told reporters.

According to reports in the media in the last few days, alleged attempts had been made by the top home ministry official to stall the arrest of Mr Sinh, who was arrested by the CBI in Kolkata on Saturday. Meanwhile, the CBI spokesperson refused to make any comment on the issue and maintained that the case is under investigation.