Vikash Sharma

Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha Crime Branch today filed the final chargesheet against contractor Banti Agarwal in connection with fraud in several projects of the Roads and Buildings division of Public Works Department (PWD) in Bargarh and Nuapada districts.

It is pertinent to mention here that out of the total 16 cases registered against Banti, his father and wife, the EOW is conducting investigation into four cases.

The investigating agency so far has filed final chargesheets in two cases and preliminary chargesheets in others, official sources said.

Earlier, Banti along with his father was arrested for allegedly providing 48 fake term deposit receipts (TDRs) as security to win government tenders worth over Rs 10 to 12 crore on different occasions in Kalahandi, Bolangir, Bargarh and Nuapada districts.

The Public Works department (PWD) had detected the fraud in tenders in Kalahandi district and lodged complaint against Banti.

On October 13 last year, the State government blacklisted the contractor under Rule-4 of OPWD Contractor’s Registration Rules 1967. Later, an FIR was registered against Banti and his wife Sabita at Bhawanipatna police station.

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