Bhubaneshwar: The CBI has launched an investigation against several MLAs from different parties, including the ruling BJD, in connection with the chit fund scam and has sought a report from the Odisha Assembly about passes it had issued for vehicles used by the legislators.
"We received complaints from different sources that some MLAs were given vehicles by some chit fund promoters. We sought details about the vehicle passes issued in the names of MLAs," said a CBI officer. The central probe agency refused to divulge details and whether they found specific evidence against any legislator.
It must be remembered that food supplies and consumer welfare minister Sanjay Das Burma have been under the CBI scanner for allegedly receiving an SUV from Artha Tatwa (AT) Group chief Pradeep Sethy. The CBI had in April summoned Das Burma and asked him to furnish details of his vehicles.
The development sent jitters within the ruling BJD, which is in a spot over the Ponzi scam. Names of several BJD leaders have been doing the rounds since the CBI took over the probe in May 2014. The ruling party suffered setbacks following the arrest of Banki MLA Pravat Tripathy and Mayurbhanj MP Ramachandra Hansdah in separate chit fund scams in the past. The BJD received a further blow when the CBI questioned Naveen Patnaik's close aide Saroj Sahu in connection with the Seashore Group chit fund scam in November 2014. Recently, a close aide of school and mass education minister Debi Prasad Mishra was questioned in connection with the Seashore Group scam.
"We received complaints from different sources that some MLAs were given vehicles by some chit fund promoters. We sought details about the vehicle passes issued in the names of MLAs," said a CBI officer. The central probe agency refused to divulge details and whether they found specific evidence against any legislator.
It must be remembered that food supplies and consumer welfare minister Sanjay Das Burma have been under the CBI scanner for allegedly receiving an SUV from Artha Tatwa (AT) Group chief Pradeep Sethy. The CBI had in April summoned Das Burma and asked him to furnish details of his vehicles.
The development sent jitters within the ruling BJD, which is in a spot over the Ponzi scam. Names of several BJD leaders have been doing the rounds since the CBI took over the probe in May 2014. The ruling party suffered setbacks following the arrest of Banki MLA Pravat Tripathy and Mayurbhanj MP Ramachandra Hansdah in separate chit fund scams in the past. The BJD received a further blow when the CBI questioned Naveen Patnaik's close aide Saroj Sahu in connection with the Seashore Group chit fund scam in November 2014. Recently, a close aide of school and mass education minister Debi Prasad Mishra was questioned in connection with the Seashore Group scam.