In 2011, Saradha Group bought Global Automobiles, a heavily indebted motorcycle company as a front for the latest version of its Ponzi scheme. Global Automobiles immediately stopped most production but kept 150 workers on its payroll who "pretended to work whenever truckloads and busloads of prospective depositors of Saradha Realty visited the plant for a first-hand check before investing". It also bought similar shell companies like West Bengal Awadhoot Agro Private Ltd, located in North 24-Parganas, and Landmark Cement in Bankura to showcase them to agents and depositors and convince them that the Saradha Group had diversified interests. As part of its corporate social responsibility program, Saradha Group donated motorcycles to the Kolkata Police. On 19 July 2011, it persuaded Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, to use its ambulances and motorcycles for the Jangalmahal area of West Midnapore. To further etch itself in the socio-cultural milieu of Bengal, Saradha Group invested in football rivals and the best-known football clubs in Bengal: Mohun Bagan A.C. ( 18 million in 2010–11) and East Bengal F.C. ( 35 million since 2010). The group also sponsored various Durga Puja celebrations organised by local political leaders. Allegedly several political leaders received financial support from Saradha Group, including MPs of TMC, the incumbent ruling party of West Bengal. MP Kunal Ghosh drew a salary of per month from Saradha Group, as an employee of the group. MP Srinjoy Bose was directly involved with the group's media operations. Transport Minister Madan Mitra headed the employees' union of the group and publicly encouraged people to invest their savings with it. Sudipto Sen, the group's chairman and managing director, reportedly spent to buy paintings by Mamata Banerjee, whose government later issued a notification that public libraries should buy and display Saradha Group newspapers. The group bought the loss-making company Landmark Cement, which was co-owned by textiles minister Shyamapada Mukherjee. The group also had financial dealings with Ganesh Dey, the confidential assistant of the finance minister of the erstwhile Left Front government, who was later expelled. Politicians outside West Bengal also benefited from Saradha Group. Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Health and Education Minister of Assam, may have profited personally from the Ponzi scheme.