The Crime Branch of the Odisha police on Thursday arrested Pradip Panigrahi, Gopalpur MLA, on charges of collecting money from unemployed youths by making false promise to provide jobs.
“Evidence has come to the light that Mr. Panigrahi collected money on behalf of one Akash Kumar Pathak, falsely promising jobs in Tata Company to people,” the Crime Branch said, issuing a statement here.
It said, “this case relates to impersonation, cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and other cyber offences by Pathak, who posed himself as Managing Director of Tata Motors passenger car division.”
‘Sufficient evidence’
He has been booked under Section 419, 420, 467, 468, 469, 471, 120-B of the IPC. The Crime Branch claimed that there was sufficient prima facie evidence against him in this case.
Mr. Panigrahi, once a close associate of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, recently fell out of favour with BJD party leadership.
Akash Pathak is son of IFS officer Abhay Kant Pathak, former Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, who has been arrested by Vigilance department on charges of amassing properties disproportionate to his known source of income.