Odisha: CBI conducts raids at 25 places in Seashore Group chit fund scam
Bhubaneswar: In one of its major raid exercises, the Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday conducted raids at 25 places in Odisha in connection with the Seashore Group chit fund scam.
The raids, among other places, were conducted at the residence and offices of BJD Lok Sabha member Rabindra Jena located in his constituency Balasore and Odisha capital Bhubaneswar.
"The central investigating agency also conducted raids at the residences of Odisha Chief Minister and BJD President Naveen Patnaik’s ex-employee Saroj Sahoo and BJD MLA from Choudwar, Pravat Ranjan Biswal.
Sources said, the CBI suspects that through Saroj Sahoo and Pravat Biswal, the Seashore Group managed to cultivate top bosses in the state administration and succeeded in spreading its business empire across Odisha.
Seashore Group has allegedly robbed over Rs 1700 crore rupees from over 1.5 lakh small depositors in Odisha.
The raids have come as major setback for the ruling BJD ahead of the panchayat polls scheduled to be held in February.
Any findings of incriminating papers or documents from Saroj Sahoo would expectedly create trouble in the BJD as he was the key man in Naveen Niwas, the residence of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and he played a crucial role in all Assembly and Lok Sabha elections held since 2000.
It is also said that Naveen Patnaik heavily relied on Saroj for his political and personal affairs.
Saroj was shunted out of Naveen Niwas in 2014 after he was grilled by the CBI in connection with the chit fund scam.
Two of the senior BJD leaders - Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha members Ramachandra Hansda and Subarna Naik – are currently in jail in chit fund case. Pravat Tripathy, the BJD MLA from Banki in Cuttack district, was earlier arrested by the CBI. He is, however, now out on bail.
Sources informed that a senior Odisha minister and a few other BJD MLAs are also in the CBI scanner and the agency might grill them at any moment.
The CBI had earlier questioned MP Rabindra Jena, MLA Pravat Biswal and Saroj Sahoo.
