CBI to grill Seashore chief, brother again today

Bhubaneswar: As part of its probe into the multi-crore chit fund scam in the state, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will interrogate Seashore Group CMD Prashant Kumar Dash and his brother Prabhat Dash in Jharpada jail here for the second consecutive day on Sunday.

The Central investigation agency had grilled the duo at the circle jail on Saturday in connection with the Group’s multi crore chit fund scam. Besides, the investigating agency had also quizzed Subhankar Nayak, an alleged conduit between the Ponzi firm and political leaders, bureaucrats and police officers of the State, who is also lodged in the same jail.

Notably, the special CBI court has granted the central agency three days to complete questioning of the trio, jail sources added.

Last month, the agency swung into action and searched the Nayak’s flat in a housing apartment in the city in connection with its probe into the Seashore Group.

A team from the probe agency also questioned the owners of the flat, which was rented by Nayak. All through the two-year probe, Nayak has remained under the scanner of the investigating agency.

In a related development, the Orissa High Court on June 28 issued notice to the State government to file a counter on a petition filed by M/s Seashore Securities Limited, challenging the constitutional validity of Odisha Protection of Interests of Depositors (in Financial Establishment) Act of 2011. The legislation and the rules framed under it in 2013 arm the State with the power to initiate punitive action against those embezzling public money by floating shady financial firms.

The next hearing in the matter has been posted for August 2.