SCAM SEASHORE CHIT FUND; CBI RAIDS EIGHT PLACES IN ODISHA
BHUBANESWAR,18/09/20:The sleuths of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have conducted raids at eight places in connection with the Seashore Chit Fund Scam on Friday.
The raids were conducted on the residence of former minister and Baramba-Narasighpur BJD MLA Debi Prasad Mishra, former Tourism Director Rabi Narayan Nanda, Avenue Association Pvt Ltd MD Bishnu Mishra, and Swagatika Infra Ltd MD Prashant Patnaik among others.
A number of incriminating documents have been seized by the CBI officials during the raid. The CBI team reached Debi Mishra’s residence at Unit 1 this morning and conducted raids for up to three hours. They have seized a number of documents during the raid, officials said.
A deal was signed between the tourism ministry and Seashore in which the director of Swagatika Infra Pvt Ltd Prashant Patnaik had mediated. The Seashore had also entered into a pact with the tourism ministry for the Boat Ride project in Mahanadi in which a lot of irregularities were found.
The chief of Seashore, Prashant Das, had himself informed the CBI about such activities by the tourism ministry. Based on the information of Das, the CBI officials had summoned the former tourism minister to the office two years ago to quiz him.
Mishra told reporters here that the CBI officials had telephoned him in the morning that they want to meet him in connection with the Mahanadi Boating Project. He said the officials had asked for the documents relating to the project.
The former minister said he will always cooperate with the CBI in this regard.
Meanwhile, Biju Janata Dal Spokesperson Lenin Mohanty has given a counter on CBI investigations in Bhubaneswar. He raised the timing of the CBI raids and added that the CBI has been investigating cases in Odisha over the past seven years.
The BJD Spokesperson said a pattern is seen that the CBI starts conducting searches, raids, and issues notices just before the by-elections, General Elections, and Panchayat polls. He said people of Odisha are wondering why such things happen before any election.
#pns
