Yet another case against Ramesh Jena

Berhampur/Jeypore: Berhampur Town Police on Thursday registered an extortion case against former Congress MLA from Sanakhemundi Ramesh Jena following a complaint lodged by a liquor trader of Chhatrapur area.

The liquor trader also lodged a complaint against Jena’s father Arakhita, nephew Pradip Swain and Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) corporator R Murali Mohan.

Acting on the complaint, police registered a case and arrested Swain and forwarded him to the court.

Talking to media persons, Berhampur SP Sarthak Sarangi said the liquor trader, in his complaint, has said as per the instruction of Ramesh Jena, he used to give monthly extortion money of Rs 3 lakh either to Murali Mohan or his nephew Pradip Swain, who owns a wine shop in the city.

Notably, Town Police had arrested Murali Mohan on Wednesday in connection with a land grab case in Gandhi Nagar area in the city.

He further said that a special team of Berhampur police, which had gone to Vizag on Thursday in connection with Jena’s gutkha business, has got some vital information.

“Police has found a house where the gutkha was being prepared and packed, and a vehicle which was used for transport of gutkha to several places in Vizag and Odisha. Besides, police has detained Venkata Patro, who was assisting Jena in the business, and has begun interrogating him,” the SP said.

He also informed that the police has appealed to the SJDM court, Berhampur to take Santosh Behera, a close associate and a dacoit recently arrested by the commissionerate police in Bhubaneswar, on a seven-day remand.

Referring to Jena’s chit fund link, Sarangi said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI teams will begin their investigation after the police submits its investigation report.

Meanwhile, the City Congress unit on Thursday demanded withdrawal of false cases against Ramesh Jena.

“Police should refrain from implicating Ramesh Jena in false cases. The government is deliberately trying to tarnish the image of a popular leader to gain political mileage,” PCC member Sudhir Sarangi told the media in Berhampur.

On the other hand, the BJD supporters, led by former minister Rabi Narayan Nanda, took out a motor cycle rally in Jeypore on Thursday, demanding the arrest of sitting Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati for allowing Ramesh Jena and his two associates and dacoits in his official quarters in Bhubaneswar.

Later, a delegation led by Nanda submitted a memorandum to the Koraput SP.

“Since the official quarters was allotted to Tara Bahinipati from where the two dacoits were operating, he should be immediately arrested and the police should interrogate him on this matter,” he added.