Chit-fund scam: BJD office secretary quizzed by CBI

Bhubaneswar: Saroj Sahu, personal aide of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and an employee of BJD party office, was interrogated by CBI which is probing the multi-crore chitfund scam in State.

The central agency questioned him for over one hour in the office. After coming out of the office, he reacted to media saying that he answered all the questions posed by CBI. However, he denied to reveal about the questions being asked to him.

Sahu, who looks after works in Patnaik's residence 'Naveen Niwas' and also the ruling BJD, said he had reached the CBI office after being summoned by the agency.

"I am here (CBI office) after getting a phone call from them. I don't know why they have called me," Sahu told reporters while entering the CBI building.

Sahu's appearance before the CBI sleuths in the midst of the ongoing probe into the multi-crore chitfund scam is seen by many as a major embarrassment for the chief minister as he happens to be a close aide of Patnaik.

Patnaik has been categorically stating that neither the BJD nor his government had any involvement in the chit-fund scam.

Sahu's signature even figures in statements and press releases issued by the BJD, sources said adding he coordinates the CM's programmes and mostly operates from Naveen Niwas.

While Sahu claimed ignorance about the reason behind CBI calling him, sources said the investigators wanted to interrogate him on the basis of certain information obtained during the grilling of broker Subhankar Nayak, who had been arrested by the central agency on November 18 in connection with the ponzi scheme scandal.