Kolkata: The Saradha chit fund scam, which has ruffled the echelons of power in West Bengal, could now threaten the very core of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

In spite of the anti-BJP rhetoric and the fiery speeches by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, there’s a lurking fear among the top party leaders that “after Madan Mitra it could be Mukul Roy”.

The former railway minister who had been Banerjee’s closest aide and de facto number two in the party, has been under the scanner of the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) for his alleged link with the Saradha scam prime accused Sudipta Sen. If Roy gets dragged into the mess, alarm bells could start ringing for the chief minister herself.

Roy, though, has been absent when every other TMC leader is on the road protesting against Mitra’s arrest.

He was also not seen in any of the street marches that Banerjee led in protest of Mitra’s detention. Even party members are not aware of the whereabouts of the former Union minister.

“He (Roy) is in Kolkata but the leadership has given strict orders not to speak to the media,” said a senior party worker.

The needle of suspicion swung towards Roy when prime accused Sudipta Sen in his letter to the CBI claimed that he had repeatedly received assurance from Roy that he could continue to do his business in peace in Bengal.

Also Sen’s driver and assistant Arvind Singh Chouhan dragged Roy’s name into the scam. He allegedly told the CBI that Roy and TMC MP Subhendu Adhikari had met Sen before he went into hiding last year as the scam broke.

Chouhan, who is currently out on bail, was arrested along with Sen from Kashmir shortly after the scam came to light. He has claimed that he was a “witness” to Roy and West Bengal former DGP Rajat Majumdar holding a meeting with Sen on April 5, 2013, a day before he fled Kolkata.

Though, TMC leaders publicly are sticking to the party line of claiming a political vendetta by the BJP, panic has stuck about the future of the party if more key leaders get embroiled in the scam.

“We are bound to protest, or people will see this as a submission of guilt. Also if we do not stand by Srinjoy and Madan, and try to brush them off the duo could spill lot of things that could mean lot more trouble for the party,” said a senior TMC leader visibly worried about the turn of events.