Bhubaneswar: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday grilled BJD MLA Pravat Biswal, arrested on Tuesday in connection with his alleged links with chit fund firm Seashore Group, amidst protests by the ruling party activists in front of the probing agency's state headquarters here.
In order to prevent law and order situation, the twin city police imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC near the CBI office as a large number of BJD protesters staged a road blockade and tried to forcefully enter the agency's headquarters.
Alleging that Biswal was arrested at the instance of the BJP ‘to settle political scores’ the demonstrators took out a motorbike rally from Cuttack to the CBI office here.
Biswal was arrested by the CBI on Monday night and produced before a special court here on Tuesday. The central probing agency has taken the legislator on a five-day remand and is interrogating him in connection with charges of his alleged links with the tainted ponzi firm.
Today on the second day of the remand, CBI Special Investigation Team comprising of DIG Manish Sinha and two other officials had a one-to-one interrogation with Biswal. Sources said the probing agency has been able to unearth valuable information about Biswal’s chit fund transactions, links with influential persons, undue favours towards the Seashore Group, and kickbacks from company CMD Prasant Das.
The CBI sources had earlier revealed on Tuesday that Biswal and his wife embezzled lakhs of rupees from the company by promising to sell their land in Jajpur district. The MLA was also suspected to have availed huge financial benefits from Seashore Group, apparently to allow the company to operate its businesses in Choudwar and Jagatpur industrial area in Cuttack.
Sources said the Seashore group had opened up a huge profitable business empire which included lavish boating club, restaurant, manufacturing factories of ball pen, flattened rice powder, water pouch and Diary Company in Jagatpur industrial estate.
Furthermore, CBI had also said that the MLA had given Rs 9 lakh to a woman named Rajalaxmi Jena through 11 drafts which is also under the scanner.
The agency had earlier lodged a case in June, 2014 against the Seashore group of companies and also filed a chargesheet against the Chief Managing Director (CMD) and directors of the Seashore group of companies in pursuant to the directions of the Supreme Court.
It was alleged that the group had indulged in raising deposits of more than Rs 1,000 crore from the people by promising a high rate of returns.