Odisha ponzi scam: CBI quizzes BJD MLA, newspaper owner
12 Sept 2014 5:48 AM IST
CBI sources on Thursday said Balabantray was grilled for about 60 minutes till 12.15 am last night at the investigating agency’s office here for his alleged link with ponzi scheme company Artha Tatwa group.
Balabantray is the son of BJD vice-president and sitting Rajya Sabha MP Kalpataru Das. An accused in the alleged land scam, he had earlier surrendered two houses to the government availed under discretionary quota.
When asked, he told newsmen ‘They (CBI) had sought clarification on a piece of land in my name. I gave details of the land to the investigating agency.’
Mohanty, owner of Odia daily ‘Odisha Bhaskar’ was grilled on Thursday for about two hours at the CBI office, the sources said.
‘I have given my clarification to the investigating agency. They had summoned me to be present before the CBI team,’ Mohanty told reporters later.
AT Group chief Pradip Sethi, who is lodged in jail, had reportedly named some BJD leaders during his interrogation by CBI last week. He had also reportedly told CBI that Mohanty had taken a large amount of money as loan from the company but did not return it.
CBI also interrogated Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) secretary Asirbad Behera’s son Sanjay, a builder, yesterday.
Last month, CBI had raided houses of Banki legislator and former BJD chief whip Pravat Tripathy and Mayurbhanj MP Ramchandra Hansda for their alleged complicity in the scam.
The central investigating agency had also taken Odia daily Surya Prabha owner Bikash Swain, to its remand for the former’s link with the Artha Tatwa Group. Swain is presently in CBI custody.
Balabantray is the son of BJD vice-president and sitting Rajya Sabha MP Kalpataru Das. An accused in the alleged land scam, he had earlier surrendered two houses to the government availed under discretionary quota.
When asked, he told newsmen ‘They (CBI) had sought clarification on a piece of land in my name. I gave details of the land to the investigating agency.’
Mohanty, owner of Odia daily ‘Odisha Bhaskar’ was grilled on Thursday for about two hours at the CBI office, the sources said.
‘I have given my clarification to the investigating agency. They had summoned me to be present before the CBI team,’ Mohanty told reporters later.
AT Group chief Pradip Sethi, who is lodged in jail, had reportedly named some BJD leaders during his interrogation by CBI last week. He had also reportedly told CBI that Mohanty had taken a large amount of money as loan from the company but did not return it.
CBI also interrogated Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) secretary Asirbad Behera’s son Sanjay, a builder, yesterday.
Last month, CBI had raided houses of Banki legislator and former BJD chief whip Pravat Tripathy and Mayurbhanj MP Ramchandra Hansda for their alleged complicity in the scam.
The central investigating agency had also taken Odia daily Surya Prabha owner Bikash Swain, to its remand for the former’s link with the Artha Tatwa Group. Swain is presently in CBI custody.
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