Bhubaneswar: Links of various Ollywood actors and politicians with Oscar chit fund is expected to be exposed as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to take over the probe of the case from the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha Crime Branch. It is learnt from reliable sources that all the necessary arrangements have been made by the CBI to take over the probe.
It is being alleged that Ollywood artists such as Uttam Mohanty, Papu Pompom, Jina, Lipi and Kajol were campaigning for Oscar by featuring in its stage shows. As per allegations, they were also motivating the people to invest in the company.
An investor from Gujarat Binay Patel alleged, "Ollywood actors had featured in advertisements promoting investments in Oscar Management Services Limited, which shows they also have some links with the company and many politicians are also involved in it, so a CBI probe of the case will be better."
Other than actors, various MPs and MLAs are also suspected to have links with Oscar chit fund. The actors had also advertised for the company in their movies. The ponzi firm said to have duped investors to the tune of Rs 230 crores through its branches at various places in Odisha, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
First case against the company was registered in Baliguda in 2013. The Crime Branch had taken over the case in 2015, after which the Managing Director of the company Prabhas Chandra Rout had fled from Odisha.
The Odisha Crime Branch with the help of its Delhi counterparts nabbed Rout from the guest house of a Jagannath Temple at Hauz Khas in Delhi on June 10, 2016. He was staying there at Shree Neelachala Sevasangha with changed identity claiming to be one Laxman Nayak undergoing treatment at AIIMS hospital.
Crime Branch Special DG BK Sharma after Rout's arrest had said that the latter was involved in chit fund, real estate and Ollywood film production. Talking to media persons Sharma had said, "Oscar Group of Companies by starting a chit fund and money circulation firm, had opened nearly 100 branches in Odisha, Gujarat and Maharashtra including 50 branches in Odisha, nearly 45 in Gujarat and five in Maharashtra. The identified properties of the company include five houses in Bhubaneswar and nearby places, nearly 25 acres of land along with some deposits in bank."