CBI raids BJD leaders

The recent raids conducted by the CBI on three political leaders from Odisha in connection with the multi-crore chit-fund scam has become a major embarrassment for the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

Two of the three raided politicians turned out to be BJD leaders. They are sitting MP from tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha constituency Ramachandra Hansda, and former MLA from another tribal-dominated district of Keonjhar, Subarna Naik. 

Both of them, along with former BJP legislator Hitesh Bagarti, allegedly have links with a Bhubaneswar-based tainted chit fund company, which is currently under the CBI’s scanner.

Of the two BJD leaders, Naik has admitted that he had connections with the disgraced firm but has said that he had no knowledge that it was a chit fund company.

“At that time I thought it was a construction company. When I came to know that it was a chit fund company and was cheating people, I disassociated myself from it,” the former legislator said in a recent interview.