Odisha chit fund scam: ED attaches Seashore property worth Rs 158 cr

Reported by Santosh Jagdev
Bhubaneswar, Dec 3:

In a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the mega chit fund scam in Odisha, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) today attached property worth Rs 158 crore beloging to the Seashore group of companies, arguably the biggest player in the scam.

The Seashore property, consisting of both movable and immovable assets, was attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, ED sources said.

The property attached today included over 100 acres of land spread out in Angul, Bhadrak and Puri districts, 10 flats and a house in Patrapada area in Bhubaneswar, the corporate office of the company in Chandaka area of the city, Jatish Agro and Oil Industries and a piece of land in Betnati in Mayurbhanj, a flour mill in Barunei near Khurda, two quintals of silver and one kg of gold, ED sources said.

Much of property attached today was seized by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Odisha crime branch, which was probing the case before the CBI took over, ED sources said. But significantly, it included seven flats in Bhubaneswar which had not been seized by the EOW.