Odisha chit fund scam: court asks Seashore chief to be produced here on Oct 14

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Sep 26:

The Khordha sessions court today directed Jeypore jail superintendent to produce Seashore Group of companies managing director Prashant Dash before it on October 14 after conducting a hearing on the Enforcement Directorate (ED) appeal seeking his remand to find the money trail of the firm in the multi-thousand crore chit fund scam in Odisha.

On September 19, the ED had sought the court’s permission to take Dash on remand to establish the money trail.

The CBI, probing into the mega chit fund scam in the state, today raided eight places in the state in Dhenkanal and Baleswar districts this morning to collect evidence against the group.

On Thursday, the CBI had raided 29 places including the houses Prashant Dash at Jharpada in Bhubaneswar, a senior official of the company and former director of STV Gopal Chandra Sahu at Sarua near Khordha and another senior official at Bharatpur in the state capital.

It may be noted that while 6.5 lakh people were duped of Rs 4,375 crore between January 2012 and June 2013 by several chit fund companies, the Seashore Group alone is accused of embezzling over Rs 1,500 crore deposits from thousands of people from across the state.

Established in 2005-06, Seashore conglomerate forayed into money circulation, real estate, gold trading and several other sectors.

The firm executed several projects in partnership with the state government, fuelling allegations of possible patronage given by some ruling party politicians to the firm.

Dash, arrested from Mumbai on June 19, 2013 and implicated in several cheating cases, is presently lodged in Jeypore jail.

Thirty-seven cheating cases were registered against him by police in different districts.