After a hiatus, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the chit fund scams in Odisha saw renewed activity on Friday with searches at the official residence and other properties of senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Debi Prasad Mishra.
The CBI team spent three hours at Mr. Mishra’s house though the lawmaker was in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19. Sources said the raid pertained to his alleged involvement in the ₹578 crore-Seashore chit fund scam, especially the Mahanadi Boat Project at Cuttack.
“The questioning pertained to Mahanadi Boat Project promoted by Seashore Group. The case has been continuing since 2013 and the CBI knows all papers,” said Mr. Mishra.
Officers of the central agency also raided other properties related to Mr. Mishra at Cuttack, Bhadrak and Narasinghpur.
“All papers related to project are with the Tourism Department. I was mere a minister in the government. The CBI had already been handed over all papers,” the MLA reiterated.
Following a Supreme Court order, the CBI has been investigating transactions of 44 chit fund companies including the Seashore Group. Lakhs of people in Odisha and West Bengal were duped by the companies that promised inflated returns on their deposits.
The CBI had arrested former BJD MLA Prabhat Biswal over an dubious land deal with Seashore promoter Prashant Dash. Several other senior IAS and IPS offices and BJD leaders were believed to have been interrogated by the agency.
The ruling BJD government headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had faced major embarrassment when CBI questioned Saroj Sahoo, an office assistant in Naveen Niwas, the CM’s residence. The CBI has filed two charge-sheets in connection with Seashore Group scam.
