EOW Continuing its Investigation - More than 350 Sambad/ EML employees have taken Lone |

Bureau,Odishabarta

Bhubaneswar:EOW is continuing its investigation in to EOW Case no 24/2023 U/S 506/467/468/471/420/120-B IPC Dated 16.09.2023 related to Bank loan fraud by Sambad/ Eastern Media Limited ( EML) using criminal intimidation, Cheating and forgery (Previous Press Note is attached herewith).

So far many vital witnesses/ Victims have been examined.

They corroborated the allegation of complainant and further disclosed the method and magnitude of this scam. Also in past few days, EOW has been able to collect/seize some credible documents including loan/ bank related relevant documents and documents seized in the Sambad office.

Investigation/ evidences collected, so far, reveal a huge, well & meticulously planned scam to get the loan amounts sanctioned in Crores of rupees using fraudulent method of cheating, forgery and coercion.

Following patterns have come to notice, so far-

More than 350 Sambad/ EML employees have taken loan from Odisha Gramya Bank, IRC village branch alone over the last few years.
Loan taken from other banks like SBI and others are yet to be scrutinized. The actual figure is expected to be much higher.
Almost all the Loan process follows the same pattern-
Rs 5 Lakh Loan under easy money loan scheme of the bank.
Same ground like house/ house repair
Forged salary certificate submitted by Sambad/ EML authorities.
There is a huge difference (almost double) between actual salary and the salary certificate produced by Sambad/ EML authorities.
It appears that Loan forms have been prepared/filled by someone else and employee/ loanee has put his/her signature only.
Actually employees/ Loannes have not received single penny and have not been benefited by loan amount.
Once loan is sanctioned, the amount is withdrawn in cash.
The EMI to be paid is almost equal to the net salary of employee.
Some employees have been forced to take loan 2-3 times too.
Employees are not given salary slip.
EMIs are paid by Sambad/ EML.
EMI is paid in 60 installments.
Strangely, in many cases, EMIs are paid by Sambad/ EML even employees have left/resigned/removed from the company months before.
It has been a continuing phenomenon (getting Loan sanctioned in this style) for years for Sambad/ EML.

The above pattern seems not to be just one instance or coincidence but a well thought of conspiracy and organised bank fraud.

Further investigation is continuing.

PRESS NOTE 19/09/2023

PREVIOUS PRESS NOTE (18.09.2023)

A team of EOW today conducted search in the office of Sambad newspaper and seized some important documents related to EOW Case no 24/2023 U/S 506/467/468/471/420/120-B IPC.

The case has been registered on the allegation that large numbers of employees of Sambad were forced to take personal loans under threat. The loan amount running into crores was not given to the employees concerned but allegedly used by their employer company Eastern Media Limited Bhubaneswar.

The above mentioned case was registered on 16^th September 2023 against Smt. BaijyantiKar, Sri SoumyaranjanPattnayak and others on the report of complainant/victim Sri AsimMohapatra, an ex-employee of Sambad/ Eastern Media Limited Bhubaneswar.

In the complaint, Sri Mohapatra has made serious allegation of bank loan fraud involving cheating, forgery and criminal intimidation.

The victim was allegedly forced by the accused persons to sign on some bank loan forms against his will and against his paying capacity. He was threatened that if he did not follow the dictate then he would lose his job.

Under this threat and pressure he was forced to sign many blank forms/documents including some blank cheques by the accused persons. At that time he did not know the details but later came to know that a loan of Rs 5 Lakh was taken in his name but actually it was used by Sambad/ Eastern Media Limited, Bhubaneswar. He did not get a single penny out of this loan. He was forced to sign for such loans on two different occasions in two different banks.

The FIR alleges that more than 300 employees of Sambad/ Eastern Media limited have been forced to sign on forged documents and about Rs 50 Crores have thus been fraudulently secured by Sri Soumyaranjanpattnayak using these forged papers and threatening staff of Sambad.

During course of investigation, so far, some vital witnesses have been examined. During the search in Sambad office a number of incriminating documents have been collected. So far 15-20 ex-employees of Sambad have come forward with complaint of such forceful loans taken against their names using forged documents.

Further investigation is on.

EOW is investigating into the case in a free and fair manner. A team of senior and professionally competent investigators has been deployed to ensure proper investigation into the case and to unearth the truth.

Clarification

It has come to our notice that today a TV channel ( Kanka TV) has been falsely running a story that EOW team at Sambad premises is saying that they are under pressure ( “Chapo re achhi” ) whereas the EOW officer is actually saying “ Chapokichinahi”. But the TV channel has distorted the facts and spreading lies. During entire raid/ search, EOW officers were very polite to Sambad officials. Search was conducted ensuring that there is no inconvenience to the staff and without disturbing the daily work of the newspaper.