CBI conducts more raids in Orissa chit fund scam

Mohanty was arrested by CBI on Monday over charges of misuse of his official position for personal benefit.

On Thursday the CBI, which conducted raids in 23 places in Bhubaneswar, Mumbai and Calcutta during its probe into Seashore chit fund scam, Friday raided 8 more places in the state including Dhenkanal and Balasore districts this morning to collect evidence.

A four-member CBI team seized several documents from chit fund firm Seashore Group’s office in Dhenkanal. The CBI officials also raided the houses of some close relatives of the Seashore chief Prashant Kumar Das. The CBI also raided several areas Balasore district to get clues on Seashore group’s links with top BJD politicians and IAS officers.

On Thursday, CBI sources said during their raid they found documents showing investment of Rs 9 crore made by Seashore in Bhubaneswar
Institute of Technology. The college, started by a few Odia NRIs, had the Seashore chief as its trustees. Special relief commissioner and
former IT secretary PK Mohapatra was also one of the governing body members. Mohapatra, however said he is no longer in the governing body as he was there in his capacity as IT secretary.

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Meanwhile, lawyers in Orissa High Court on Friday decided to end their strike after the Khurda district sessions court granted bail to former
advocate general Ashok Mohanty. Mohanty was arrested by CBI on Monday from his Cuttack residence over charges of misuse of his official position for personal benefit and misappropriation of funds of Artha Tatwa group. The court asked the former AG to co-operate with the CBI in its investigations.

However, the court rejected the bail plea of Manoj Das, proprietor of a local TV channel Kamyab TV, who has been arrested by the CBI for his alleged complicity in the Artha Tatwa Group chit fund scam.

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