Odisha Chit Fund scam: CBI grills ex-govt pleader

Reported by Santosh Jagdev
Bhubaneswar, Apr 2:

The CBI today grilled the former additional government pleader in the Artha Tatwa (Group) chit fund scam, Debasish Panda for more than two hours at its office in the Odisha capital.

Panda, who arrived at the CBI office at around 10.15 AM, came out of the office at 12.50 PM after being interrogated for 2 hours and 35 minutes.

“I am honest. I cannot say anything about the interrogation as the CBI is investigating into the case. Better ask the investigating agency about this”, Panda told reporters.

It may be mentioned that the Odisha High Court in the last week (March 25) had directed Panda to appear before the CBI on April 2.

The directive of the court came during a hearing on an anticipatory bail petition moved by Panda to avoid possible arrest by the CBI over his alleged links with the AT Group in the mega chit fund scam.

The interim protection granted by the court to Panda earlier is still in force.

The CBI had submitted that Panda’s name had figured in the documents seized during raids at the residence of Crime Branch DSP Pramod Panda indicating his complicity in the AT scam and sought the court’s permission to interrogate him.

The Central investigating wing had claimed that the seized documents showed Panda’s links with Pradeep Sethi, the former CMD of AT Group that necessitated an investigation into his role in the larger conspiracy.