Vikash Sharma

Bhubaneswar: A day after Tata Motors clarified that Akash Pathak was not a bonafide employee of the company, the Crime Branch on Sunday intensified the questioning of Pathak’s private secretary David Peter.

Peter was brought to Bhubaneswar from Pune by a special team of the Crime Branch. After initial round of questioning, the investigating agency has reportedly got some vital leads as far as the job fraud committed by Akash is concerned, sources said.

Peter is learnt to have made some startling revelations about the modus operandi of Akash Pathak, who has been accused of duping scores of job aspirants in Ganjam by promising them jobs at Tata Motors.

It is pertinent to mention here that that Akash was arrested on November 27 based on the complaint filed by Tata Motors with the CID, Crime Branch on September 23.

The company had alleged that Akash Pathak was impersonating as the MD (I/C), Tata Motors Limited, Passenger Vehicle Division, Pune and seeking money from unwitting aspirants with the false promise of providing them jobs in the company.

On November 3, the Crime Branch had arrested Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahi on charges of collecting money from people on behalf of Akash Pathak with the false promise of providing them jobs in Tata Company.

Panigrahi was arrested under multiple Sections-- 419/420/467/468/469/471/120-B-- of IPC and Sections 66 C/66 D of IT Act 2000 with the Crime Branch claiming that there was sufficient prima facie evidence against him in the case.

Earlier, Akash Pathak’s father IFS officer Abhay Kant Pathak was also arrested by the State Vigilance on the charges of acquiring assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Currently, Akash and his father and his would-be father-in-law and Gopalpur MLA Pradeep  Panigrahi are lodged in Jharpada jail in Bhubaneswar.

The court is likely to hear the bail petition of Panigrahi tomorrow.

scrollToTop