Senior BJD leader grilled in chit fund scam

For the second consecutive day on Saturday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continued its interrogation of the senior leaders of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in connection with the multi-crore chit fund scam in Odisha.

Ram Chandra Hansda, a sitting MP of the regional outfit from tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj constituency, was grilled by the premier investigating agency at its office here on Friday.

On Saturday, senior party legislator Prabhat Tripathy was questioned. “The CBI had summoned me for interrogation. They asked me about an award given in 2010 by state cooperative union,” the four-time MLA from the Banki Assembly constituency in coastal Cuttack district told waiting reporters after nearly one and half hour of interrogation.

Pradip Sethy, the arrested chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) of the Artha Tatwa group, a tainted chit fund company under investigation, was given an award by the state cooperative union when Tripathy was its president. 

The senior lawmaker, however, told the CBI that Sethy was chosen for the award by a selection panel as per rules and it was not an individual decision.

This was for the second time that Tripathy was interrogated by the CBI for his alleged links with the AT group and its controversial CMD. 

Soon after the agency questioned him for the first time last month, the legislator had moved the Orissa High Court for an anticipatory bail which was rejected.

The houses of the BJD MLA and some of his close associates had also been raided and searched by the CBI.