CBI probe into chit fund scam has exposed Odisha govt: Pyari

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Aug 2:

The investigation by the CBI into the mega chit fund scam in Odisha has exposed the modus operandi of the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government in the state, Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra said today.

While the state Crime Branch had failed to make any breakthrough during its one-and-half year long investigation, the Central agency has done it in just one and a half months. This proved that the state government had opted for the Crime Branch probe to provide protection to the political leaders who were involved in the mega scam and patronised the chit fund companies, Mohapatra said in a release here.

Stating that the state government had failed completely in its effort to hush up the case in the Supreme Court by engaging top lawyers and paying them heavily from the state exchequer, he said the CBI is likely to grill several other MPs, MLAs, former MLAs and influential persons in the course of the investigation.

Mohapatra also said while lakhs of families have lost crores of rupees they had invested in these chit fund companies, the chief minister is still trying his best to give protection to the accused involved in the scam.

“The Supreme Court had ordered a CBI probe into the scam after expressing doubts on the integrity and credibility of the state Crime Branch investigation. The CBI would unravel the treachery of the political leaders, who have betrayed the people after luring them to invest their money in the chit fund companies. It would also help the poor investors to get their money back,” he hoped.