TV
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Friday started the confiscation process of a sprawling farmhouse belonging to Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Raja Chakra amid allegations of land dispute in Keonjhar district. Allegedly, the farmland is built on government land.
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Meanwhile, the Orissa High Court today rejected the bail applications of accused Raja Chakra, along with his three associates—Manas Barik, Utkal Das, and Sushant Samal.
The EOW, led by Superintendent of Police Dillip Kumar Tripathy, confirmed that the process began following the official sealing of the property.
Spanning across 11 acres, the farmhouse in question had its legal status called into question. With the collaboration of local administrative officials, the EOW conducted measurements revealing irregularities in its ownership. It was discovered that only 3.7 acres were legally owned, while the remaining 7.4 acres were illicitly occupied government land.
Raja encroached 7.4 acres of government land?
The appropriated land featured a children's park, a vibrant bungalow, grand entrance gates amid mango groves, a pond with colourful fish, and luxurious cottages. Special bikes were available for visitors to tour the expansive grounds.
Raja Chakra was earlier arrested on March 13 in connection with financial misappropriation involving the Gandhamardan loading agency. An interim chargesheet has been filed, and multiple distinguished personalities remain under scrutiny, with further arrests anticipated, according to the EOW SP Tripathy.
“There is a Mouza named Gopalpur under Keonjhar Sadar tehsil limits. He (Raja Chakra) has a farmhouse there. The extent of the farmhouse is 11.1 acres, of which around 7.4 acres is under illegal encroachment, and that land is ‘government land’,” the senior official said.
“Status of the land is ‘Taila’ and he has illegally constructed a gate, a children's park, a pond, a mango grove, and other plantations on the encroached land,” the EOW official stated.
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“After learning about this, we have started the process to restore the government land. The process is also underway to sell the farmhouse,” SP Tripathy asserted in a presser.
