Ponzi scam-tainted MLA attends Assembly

Bhubaneswar: Released from jail on conditional bail, suspended BJD MLA Pravat Tripathy today attended the assembly on the opening day of the second phase of its budget session.

Tripathy, who was arrested by CBI on October 31, 2014 for his alleged link with Artha Tatwa, a ponzi firm, was garnted conditional bail by Orissa High Court on March 3.

Tripathy, a BJD MLA from Banki Assembly segment in Cuttack district, was aarrested on the charge of criminal conspiracy and receiveing huge money from the AT Group.

Tripathy was suspended from the party by BJD president Naveen Patnaik on the same day of his arrest.

"Though I am a suspended member, as an MLA, I adhere to BJD ideology. I have been doing politics since my student days and have been following the ideals of Biju Patnaik. Not just BJD, even Congress and BJP members have greeted me, sympathised with me and welcomed me back to the Assembly.

They have been my long time friends in the House, Tripathy told reporters in the Assembly campus.