BJP alleges 3rd-floor link with DN Group, nexus between firm owner & CMO

Amid the ongoing Income Tax Department's raids on different establishments of DN Group, the BJP on Thursday brought some serious allegations citing links of the real estate company with officers in the 3rd-floor of the Odisha Secretariat and also the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).

Odisha BJP spokesperson, Anil Biswal alleged that the money unearthed during raids on DN Group belongs to BJD leaders and MLAs. "Black money of a non-Odia IAS officer is legitimised through this real estate business. This company was also a medium of money laundering for BJD leaders and MLAs. There is a close nexus between the company owner Jagadish Naik and the CMO," alleged Biswal.

People now suspect that the black money was hoarded by the ruling BJD, and it was getting legitimised through the real estate company, said Odisha BJP General Secretary, Prithviraj Harichandan.

Congress MLA, Santosh Singh Saluja also lashed out at the ruling party in Odisha."Whose money is this? Which party owns these crores of money? People now believe that the leaders of the Biju Janata Dal were investing their money in this real estate company and storing it for election purposes," said Saluja demanding an impartial probe to nab the officers and political leaders looting public money.

Terming the allegations of the BJP and the Congress baseless, BJD leader Bhagirathi Sethi said that the party has nothing to do with the IT raids or the real estate firm. "Chief Minister will not shield any person involved in such acts. The law will take its own course," he added.

On the other hand, the IT department officials today reportedly laid hands on money receipts of financial transactions of DN Group o the tune of Rs 105 crore. While money receipts of Rs 80 crore for flats were found, money receipts of Rs 25 crore for other transactions were recovered.

On Wednesday, the IT department officials conducted simultaneous raids at 20 places associated with the Bhubaneswar-based real estate firm on the allegations of tax evasion. Subsequently, Rs 30 crore in cash was recovered from the house of a staffer of the firm.