Sambad loan scam: EOW quizzes Odisha Gramya Bank’s branch manager in Bhubaneswar 

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Odisha Police Crime Branch on Thursday further tightened its noose around Sambad, the media house Khanadapada MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik is associated with. A team of EOW officials visited the Jayadev Vihar branch of Odisha Gramya Bank and quizzed the branch manager. 

According to a source, a team of the EOW officials along with a cyber team reached the branch of Odisha Gramya Bank at Jayadev Vihar Thursday morning. Besides going through several documents, they also grilled the branch manager. 

Meanwhile, Khandapada MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik and Remuna MLA Sudhanshu Sekhar Parida were expelled from the BJD party on Thursday. In a press note, the BJD said the MLAs have been expelled for their anti-people activities. 

In the note, the party mentioned about the loan scam and termed it as a serious case of organised bank fraud. 

Notably, three joint teams comprising 12 officials of EOW, and Commissionerate Police had conducted raids at the office of the media house located at Rasulgarh area in Bhubaneswar on Monday. 

A loan fraud allegation was brought against legislator Patnaik, the Editor of an Odia Daily. The fraud allegation has also been brought against the Human Resources (HR) head of the media house, Baijayanti Kar.