Chit fund scam: CBI grills Odisha Minister’s PA

Swetaparna Published On : Aug 5, 2016 at 9:06 PM Updated On : Aug 8, 2016 at 9:51 AM

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Aug 5:

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the multi-thousand crore chit fund scam today quizzed Dillip Mishra, political personal assistant of Odisha’s School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra and BJD leader Prafulla Singh.

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Prafulla is the former working president of the Cuttack district unit of the BJD.

While Prafulla was interrogated by the central investigation agency for about five hours, Dillip was quizzed for nearly two hours.

“I was told by the CBI officials that since Banki MLA Pravat Tripathy had made allegations against me I was summoned for interrogation,” Dillip told mediapersons after coming out of the CBI office here.

“I have no hostility with him. It is only he who can tell why he had made allegations against me. Since I work for Debi Prasad Mishra he might have made allegations against me,” he said on being asked by reporters whether he had any enmity with Pravat Tripathy.

On being further questioned whether Pravat Tripathy and Debi Prasad Mishra were not in good terms Dillip said: “Both are in good terms.”

“The CBI officials queried from me about financial transactions of Debi Prasad Mishra. I told them that I manage political affairs of Debi Prasad Mishra in his constituency. I don’t look after his financial transactions,” Dillip said.

“They asked me whether I took money from chit fund firm Seashore Group and gave it to Debi Prasad Mishra. I said no,” Dillip clarified.

“They have asked me to come on Monday with details of my bank balance and property” he added.

With CBI asking Dillip to come again on Monday, speculations are rife that the central agency has stumbled upon strong evidence over his complicity in the chit fund scam.

On the other hand, Prafulla tried to avoid the media after coming out of the CBI office. He was not prepared to answer any question from the media.

“I have given every detail for which they had summoned me. I haven’t acted as a mediator for any one. I don’t know anything about Seashore Group,” is all that Prafulla told reporters on coming out of the CBI office after his interrogation.