Bhubaneswar: Odisha Crime Branch on Thursday arrested one Sarbeswar Rao, a close aide of arrested Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahi in connection with the Tata Motors ‘recruitment fraud.’
Rao’s arrest came after the investigating agency found credible evidence regarding his involvement in the job fraud. He was earlier grilled by the probe agency for several hours after his name surfaced during the ongoing probe.
Sources said Akash Pathak’s personal secretary David Peter had revealed Rao’s name during his interrogation in connection with the case.
With Rao’s arrest, it is suspected that the number arrests in the case might go up in coming days as the investigating agency is leaving no stone unturned to book those involved in duping job seekers in the State.
In another development, the Commissionerate Police on Thursday took Akash Pathak on a four-day remand to interrogate him into the allegations of Rs 65 lakh fraud levelled by Sky King, a Bhubaneswar-based travel agency.
The Sky King Travel agency had registered a complaint at Kharavel Nagar police station on December 2, accusing him of defrauding the agency to the tune of Rs 65 lakh.
Based on the complaint of travel firm, police had moved the court seeking remand of the accused Akash Pathak for interrogation, said Bhubaneswar DCP Umashankar Dash.
Earlier today, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recommended the Central Government for the compulsory retirement of ‘very corrupt and high-flying’ IFS officer Abhay Kant Pathak who happens to be the father of Akash Pathak.
It is for the first time that an All India Services Officer has been recommended by the Odisha Government for compulsory retirement on grounds of corruption.
(Edited By Suryakant Jena)