BJD attacks former Odisha MP Baijayant, mediapreneur wife over Bahamas investments

Sambad English Bureau Published On : Oct 26, 2020 at 8:24 PM Updated On : Oct 26, 2020 at 9:37 PM

New Delhi: Ruling-BJD today attacked BJP National Vice President and former MP Baijayant Jay Panda and mediapreneur wife Jagi Mangat Panda for their alleged involvement in money laundering hours after a Delhi-based NGO ‘PATH’ said in a presser that the couple have been evading income tax through three shell companies located in Bahamas island.

BJD MLA from Jajpur, Pranab Prakash Das and the party’s Rajya Sabha MP Amar Patnaik stated despite the Delhi High Court order for a multi agency probe into money laundering allegations against Baijayant and wife Jagi, no headway in the matter has been registered. They asked whether BJP has been protecting Baijayant who is National Vice President of the saffron party.

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Despite orders of Hon'ble Delhi High Court on 7 Feb 2020 for swift investigation by MAG (Multi Agency Group involving CBI, ED and IT), no progress has been registered. Since then, @PandaJay has become National VP of BJP and apparently, protected by the Party? #JayPandaExposed

— Pranab Prakash Das (@pranabpdas) October 26, 2020

A stunning exppse today finds that on 25 Jan 2019, @PandaJay's OTV had purchased a Guest House from Surangi Services Limited (SSL) for Rs 10 crores. SSL is owned by two shell companies located in Bahamas. The same shell companies that had invested in Ortel. #JayPandaExposed

— Pranab Prakash Das (@pranabpdas) October 26, 2020

The obstruction of justice is crystal clear. Misdoings too. #JayPandaExposed also exposes what lies beneath @PandaJay's OTV and Ortel. He needs to answer for this and come clean to people of Odisha.

— Pranab Prakash Das (@pranabpdas) October 26, 2020

The #JayPandaBahmasExpose is a shocking but classic money laundering case. Black money purportedly made through blackmail(remember he owns a TV channel) & illegal business deals (he owns several businesses) is round tripped back to India through two Bahamas based shell companies. pic.twitter.com/kApcuPlcQ5

— Dr. Amar Patnaik (@Amar4Odisha) October 26, 2020

Also, #JayPandaExposed was trending on the social media platform throughout the day.

Earlier in the day, speaking to mediapersons at the Press Club of India in New Delhi, Advocate Atul Guleria, a member of the NGO alleged Baijayant and Jagi have been evading income tax through two shell companies located in Bahamas island. The couple was also involved in CSR fund irregularities, the NGO further alleged.

These two Bahamas-based shell companies invested in the companies owned by Baijayant and Jagi in India through the Manjula Devi Trust.

The NGO further alleged the shell companies were being controlled by Panda Investment Private Limited and Metro Sky Light Private Limited that were owned by the couple.

It is worth to be mentioned that ‘PATH’ had filed a PIL in the Delhi High Court in February in connection with this. Though the court directed the Centre to probe the matter after taking note of it as a case of ‘money laundering’ in February, there is hardly any headway in the investigation. The NGO demanded the Prime Minister’s Office to direct the officials to expedite the probe.

The court ordered for a early completion of a probe into allegations as mentioned in the writ petition.

Denying the allegations Litisha Mangat, Operating Officer of OTV Network in statement said, “The BJD government seems to raise issue after issue without backing them up with hard evidence, facts or figures.”