A senior official of the CBI informed that as the duo failed to appear before the investigation agency after the first notice, they will be served notice for the second time. The CBI official added that both the MLAs have failed to depose individually before the agency after the first notice. The MLAs were summoned to appear separately on January 28 and January 29.
As per reports, both the MLAs were served notices after the CBI got some vital leads regarding their involvement in the Seashore chit fund scam. Both the MLAs are yet to respond on the issue.
"If they don't appear before the CBI then it is disobedience of court for which there is a particular section under the IPC," former police DG Bipin Bihari Mishra said.
On the other hand, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan targeted Odisha govt over police notice to two BJP leaders soon after the CBI issued notices to the BJD MLAs. "Naveen Patnaik’s police can get anybody arrested and people of Odisha want chit fund scamsters should be punished," Pradhan said.
Senior BJD leader and minister Pratap Jena termed Pradhan's statements absurd and questioned the Union Minister about the persons who sheltered the murderers of Chhatrapur councillor Laxmidutta Pradhan.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Orissa High Court had granted anticipatory bail to BJD MP Rabindra Jena in connection with the Seashore chit fund scam. Earlier in September 2017, the CBI had arrested BJD’s Cuttack-Choudwar MLA Pravat Ranjan Biswal in connection with the Seashore chit fund scam. Later, he was granted bail by the Orissa High Court in June 2018.
Mishra, chief of Suryakhethra Foundation was spotted sitting besides several BJD leaders including Health Minister Pratap Jena and party spokesperson Debasish Samantaray at the mega event yesterday.
Earlier, Bipin Bihari Mishra was interrogated by CBI twice in January 2017 for his alleged links with Seashore Group and company's association with bureaucrats and politicians .
Sources said, Mishra was on CBI scanner for his foundation receiving a donation of Rs 1 lakh from Seashore group in the past.
Meanwhile, both BJD leaders Pratap Jena and Debasish Samantaray could not be contacted on the issue.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and other eminent personalities from State and outside had attended the book presentation ceremony of Tall Man Biju Patnaik that was organised in a grand manner at Mumbai yesterday.
Written by Sundar Ganesan, the book is a pictorial biography based on the life and times of illustrious and legendary Biju Patnaik.
After duly considering the CBI's charge-sheet against Biswal and hearing both parties, the court rejected the bail petition of the legislator, informed sources.
Biswal had sought bail earlier last month after the central probe agency filed its second charge-sheet against five persons including Biswal and his wife Laxmibilasini in the multi-crore Seashore chit fund scam.
In the 100-page document, the investigating agency has indicted Cuttack Chowdwar MLA of fixing a land deal with Seashore CMD Prashant Das and availing financial benefits of nearly Rs 25 lakh from Seashore Group for allowing the ponzi firm to operate in several parts of Choudwar and Jagatpur in Cuttack.
This apart, a case under section 420, 120 (B) of IPC has been registered against all the five accused including OAS officer Pradeep Hota while names of 60 persons have been mentioned as witnesses in the case.
Biswal was arrested in connection with the incident in September 2017.
In the 100-page document, the investigating agency has indicted Prabhat Biswal of availing financial benefits from Seashore Group by allowing the company to operate its business in several parts of Choudwar and Jagatpur areas in Cuttack.
Biswal was earlier arrested in connection with the incident in September 2017.
Also Read: Seashore scam: BJD MLA Prabhat Biswal arrested by CBI
Earlier, both Biswal and his wife were quizzed by the CBI several times in connection with a land deal with Seashore CMD Prashant Das. The couple had failed to provide necessary documents including sale deed of the land and obtained a financial benefit of Rs 25 lakh with the help of forged documents.
Apart from Biswal, charge-sheet has also named retired OAS officer Pradeep Hota and his wife Pratima Hota for showing undue favours to the company.
The accused officer had allegedly extended undue favours to the ponzi firm when he was the managing director of Agricultural Promotion and Investment Corporation Limited (APICOL) from 2008 to 2011.
A case under section 420, 120 (B) has been registered against all five accused while names of 60 persons have been mentioned as witness in the case. The investigation has been kept open, CBI sources said.
https://youtu.be/hSy5Okj2PH8
Cuttack: BJP youth wing activists on Thursday staged a road blockade protesting arrested BJD MLA Pravat Biswal’s unduly longer stay at SCB Medical College and Hospital in the name of treatment.
The activists of youth brigade of the saffron party staged a demonstration and blocked the National Highway near Madhupatna square demanding immediate shifting of Biswal from the hospital to jail.
Vehicular traffic was disrupted for over an hour due to the road blockade creating inconvenience for commuters who were stranded on the national highway for long.
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had earlier arrested Biswal on September 19 in connection with a dubious land deal involving the scam-tainted Seashore chit fund group.
Also Read: PIL against arrested BJD MLA Pravat Biswal’s stay in hospital
However, Biswal was soon admitted to Capital hospital in Bhubaneswar after he complained of nausea and other health problems. Later he was shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack on September 22.
On the other hand, the Orissa High Court today deferred the hearing on Pravat Biswal’s bail plea till tomorrow. The Court has also sought for a status report on Biswal’s health condition from the CBI.
Also Read: HC asks CBI to submit probe status report on Pravat Biswal’s arrest
https://youtu.be/DTHeQh-GBXE
According to sources, the MLA has filed for bail on health grounds.
Earlier, the Bhubaneswar Special CJM CBI court had rejected his bail petition. Prabhat had also applied for bail in the Khurda District and Sessions Court.
After being arrested by the CBI on September 19 in connection with an dubious land deal with Seashore Group chief Prasant Dash, Biswal was shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack following advice from a four-member team of doctors at the Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar.
https://youtu.be/eFVI5hivZbc
Paul had moved the High Court seeking bail on health grounds.
Earlier on January 7, the Special CJM CBI court in Bhubaneswar rejected the bail plea of the actor-turned-politician. The TMC MP was arrested by the CBI from Kolkata on December 30, 2016.
Director of as many as 15 ventures of the Seashore group, Pravat, the younger brother of group chief Prashant Das, was arrested on January 24, 2015 for his alleged link in the chit fund scam.
According to sources, a team of SFIO interrogated Seashore chief Prashant Das, his brother Pravat Das and middleman Subhankar Nayak.
Also Read: SFIO to register fresh case against Artha Tatwa
Recently, CBI special court in Bhubaneswar had granted permission to interrogate the accused and asked the agency to complete their probe within a month.
Earlier AT chit fund chief, Pradeep Sethy along with arrested Manoj Patnaik, Jyotiprakash Jayprakash, Srikrushna Padhi and Deepak Parekh were interrogated by the SFIO team.
Talking to media after the marathon interrogation, Jena said, “I have provided all information sought by CBI.”
“The investigating agency asked me about the financial transactions with the chit fund firm. In a reply to the question, I said the company has taken some money from us and has returned some amount,” Jena informed.
Notably, Jena appeared before the central investigating agency for the second time today.
He was interrogated by the CBI in January last year over his alleged link with the Seashore Group, which is embroiled in the multi-crore chit fund scam.
Also read: Seashore scam: Prabhat Biswal’s wife appears before CBI
The CBI had issued a notice to the MP on December 2 asking him to appear in person before it. Prior to this, the CBI had summoned him on November 26. The CBI had also summoned Laxmi Bilasini Biswal, wife of BJD MLA from Choudwar-Cuttack Prabhat Biswal for her links with the Seashore Group.
Jena appeared before the central investigating agency for the second time today. He was interrogated by the CBI in January last year over his alleged link with the Seashore Group, which is embroiled in the multi-crore chit fund scam.
The CBI had issued a notice to the MP on December 2 asking him to appear in person before it. Prior to this, the CBI had summoned him on November 26. The CBI had also summoned Laxmi Bilasini Biswal, wife of BJD MLA from Choudwar-Cuttack Prabhat Biswal for her links with the Seashore Group.
“Please don’t try to complicate this matter. I don’t know why the CBI had called them interrogation. I will get the details after I meet them today,” the visibly irritated minister told media persons here when asked about the matter.
Stating that CBI can interrogate anyone it wants to, the minister urged the investigating agency to present all the information it has on the boating projects on Mahanadi and the Atri project, which was taken up by the Seashore Group of Companies, in the public domain.
Reacting to the statement of Mishra, BJP state vice present Samir Mohanty said his party had been alleging close nexus of the state government with the Seashore Group.
He said Mishra, during his tenure as Culture and Tourism minister, had allowed Seashore to set up a boating project in Mahanadi along with a restaurant on the outskirts of Cuttack city. Besides, he had also given permission to the company to manage a government-run guest house at Atri in Khurda district. “All these bear ample testimony to the bonhomie the state government enjoyed with the Seashore Group,” he maintained.
“We have been repeatedly demanding that the CBI should probe the matter thoroughly and make it public. Since the Culture and Tourism department had signed MoU with the Seashore Group, the CBI needs to grill Mishra too,” Mohanty told the media.
Notably, the CBI had interrogated Dilip Mishra and former executive president of the Cuttack district unit of BJD Prafulla Singh yesterday in connection with the Seashore chit fund scam. While Dilip was interrogated for about two hours, Prafulla was grilled for nearly five hours.
The probe agency on Friday grilled Nayak to ascertain the role of two IAS officers and one IPS officer in the scam, said sources.
Nayak was earlier arrested and sent to jail in November 2014 in connection with the Rs 500-crore Seashore chit fund scam. Later, he got bail from the Orissa High Court in August 2017.
[caption id="attachment_456971" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Subhankar Nayak[/caption]
The CBI had also then interrogated two senior IPS officers in connection with the scam.
Besides, in September 2017, former BJD MLA Prabhat Biswal was arrested in connection with a fraudulent land deal with the Seashore Group.
Meanwhile, the duped depositors have once again raised concerns about the refund of their money. “Re-opening of the case is not going to help us. We urge the CBI to collect all evidence as soon as possible and help the depositors get back their money,” said an investor.
Depositors are worried about their money. Interrogation of any official or putting anyone behind the bars is not going to help them, said Anuradha Subudhi, joint-convener of the depositors' association.
Several politicians are involved in the chit fund scam and steps should be first taken to nab them, said, senior journalist, Rabi Das.
On the other hand, as probe into the Artha Tatwa chit fund scam in the State continues, Odisha government has informed the CBI about the details of circulation of a local newspaper after the probe agency sought details from the government about the same.
In the report, the State I&PR Department has mentioned about the existing advertisement rate/tarrifs of the news daily and also given the names of some other Odia newspapers.
Also Read: No Extension To MM Das Commission Throws Fate Of Chit Fund Depositors Into Uncertainty
https://youtu.be/_ECcBiAi4C0
Edited By Suryakant Jena
The court has ordered for confiscation of around 197 acres of land, 1.385Kgs of gold, 2 Quintals of silver and a bank deposit of Rs1,88,75,000 belonging to the Seashore group.
As per the direction of the court, all the confiscated property which is valued at nearly Rs 650 Crore, will go under hammer and the money received through auction will be distributed among the chit fund beneficiaries.
Earlier in September, 2020, the officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had raided the residence of former minister and BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra in Bhubaneswar in connection with the Seashore chit fund scam.
Before that, the CBI had already served notices to two bureaucrats – Parag Gupta posted as secretary of Tourism department and Sangram Keshari Ray, the then General Manager of Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) when Odisha government had signed MoU with Seashore.
It is being alleged that Debi Mishra during his tenure as Odisha Culture and Tourism Minister signed agreements with Seashore for a water sports complex and a restaurant in Cuttack apart from giving permission to the company to manage government-run guest house in Khordha.
(Edited By Suryakant Jena)