Berhampur: Trouble seems to be mounting for suspended IFS officer Abhay Kant Pathak and son Akash with three new fraud cases being registered against them on Monday.
According to sources, Golanthara police in Ganjam district has included the father-son duo in the fraud cases which were earlier registered against Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahi, who was arrested last year on the charges of defrauding youths. Panigrahi was accused of collecting money on behalf of Akash Pathak in a fraudulent manner by promising jobs to several aspirants in Tata Motors.
After registering the cases, the police appealed to Berhampur sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM) court to allow them to summon Pathaks for further questioning in the case. The court has admitted the appeal and allowed the police to summon the father-son duo.
They are likely to be produced before the court tomorrow, sources said.
On January 27, a Vigilance Court had granted bail to AbhayPathak and his son Akash, two months after their arrests. The bail was granted by ‘default’ due to the non-submission of the charge-sheet by Vigilance.
The father-son duo was arrested in November last year by the anti-corruption wing on charges of accumulating massive ‘ill-gotten’ wealth.
Following the arrest, Pathak, a 1987-batch Indian Forest Service officer was suspended from his service and subsequently, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik also recommended sending the official on compulsory retirement.
His son AkashPathak, on the other hand, was accused of conspiring with expelled BJD leader and Gopalpur MLA PradeepPanigrahi and cheating several job seekers to the tune of crores of rupees on the pretext of employing them with Tata Motors. To dupe the job aspirants, Pathak allegedly impersonated himself as the MD of the company.
(Edited By Vikash Sharma)