Odisha chit fund scam: CBI quizzes Astha Intl chief’s brother

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Feb 23:

The CBI probing the multi-thousand crore chit fund scam in the state today summoned Chandrasekhar Lenka, brother of Subhransu Lenka the Odisha chief of Ponzi firm Astha International.

CBI

The central investigating agency is interrogating Chandrasekhar on the financial transactions of the Ponzi firm, said CBI sources.

Subhransu was the chief managing director (CMD) of Astha International, a Surat-based money circulation company. He was arrested by the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch on June 8, 2013 on the charge of embezzling about Rs 200 crore from investors in the state.

The company had opened two offices in Bhubaneswar and Berhampur in 2010. The company had come out with a public notice on June 5, 2012 stating that it had been incurring losses and would cease to function.

Astha International had spread its operations to West Bengal apart from running real estate schemes in Odisha.

Notably, the Special CBI court here on February 15 had allowed the CBI to take Chandrasen Shivaji Chouhan, another director of Astha International on an eight day remand till February 22.

Chouhan who was arrested by Surat police in connection with the chit fund scam was lodged in the Surat jail prior to being brought to Bhubaneswar by the CBI for interrogation.

Chandrasekhar’s interrogation by the CBI was on at the time of filing of this report.

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