Bhubaneswar: After a section of media reported about an alleged Rs 250 Crore land scam in Odisha Capital, two former Odisha-cadre IPS officers – DGP (Retd) Sanjeev Marik and former Director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) M. Nageswara Rao – shifted blame on each other.

An RTI activist had alleged that government land was transferred to the name of an individual with the connivance of government officials. The land in question under Patrapada Mouza by the side of the national highway here is estimated worth over Rs 250 Crore.

Following media reports, the two senior cops have engaged in a blame game. While one former cop accused the other of causing trouble to him, the other retorted saying the former isn't so naive.

Also Read: Land scam worth around Rs 250 Crore surfaces in Odisha Capital; 4 IPS officers fall prey

“I was cheated and was sold a patch of government land in 2011. I came to know about it when I applied for mutation around 2014-15. Then, I contacted the seller Nrusingha Sundaray and asked him to refund my money and cancel the sale deed. He assured me that things will be sorted out as he had filed separate petitions in Orissa High Court and Board of Revenue in this regard," M. Nageswara Rao said.

As Nrusingha Sundaray adopted a dilly-dallying attitude and did not settle the matter, I lodged an FIR with the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on 5.11.2015 and initiated a civil case. EOW did not register a case as so many IAS and IPS officials were linked to the matter, Nageswara Rao claimed.

“A senior IAS officer who had also purchased a patch of land intervened on my request and helped me get the refund with interest. Subsequently, both of us cancelled our sale deeds. Now, I appeal to the Government to take action based on my FIR lodged in 2015 and save the valuable property and give me justice as well,” the former CBI Director urged.

Responding to this, former DGP Marik said, “My son (Sudeep) had purchased a patch of land measuring around 2,385 sqft in 2009. The seller had valid documents and he obtained them after a legal battle in 2005, following which land Patta (Record of Rights) was also issued in his favour. Hence, my son purchased after verifying all supporting documents and the sale deed is not illegal.”

“I can’t say anything as to how a Patta was issued in favour of the seller (Nrusingha). However, Rao was an ADG-Rank officer when he purchased the land. Had he taken my advice or permission to purchase the land? Once he had contacted me and told me about his plights and I had advised him to take legal recourse. If he was sold government land, then he could have filed a case for alleged falsification of records under Sections 467, 468, 471 and 420. Who was denying him to do so?” Sanjeev Marik questioned.

When asked about the alleged illegal deal with Nrusingha, the former DGP asserted that former CBI Director Rao had purchased the land measuring 92 decimals, whereas Marik’s son purchased a small patch of 24 decimals only. “Whose deal is bigger? It surprises me how Nageswara Rao could not know anything when he purchased the land but complained after four years when he had to dispose of the same on the grounds of alleged fraud. I welcome all sorts of investigation,” the former DGP added.