Odisha chit fund scam: OREDA dy director appears before CBI for second time

Sambad English Bureau Published On : Dec 9, 2014 at 3:11 PM Updated On : Dec 9, 2014 at 3:11 PM

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Dec 9:

Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA) deputy director Ashok Choudhury appeared before the CBI here in connection with the chit fund scam today.

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Choudhury had appeared before the central investigating agency yesterday and was grilled for nearly two hours.

This is for the second time Choudhury has appeared before the central investigation agency.

Choudhury had yesterday admitted before the media that he was questioned about the MoU signed between OREDA and Seashore group of companies for a solar power project in Bolangir district. He had however, declined to reveal the exact questions he was asked.

“I was asked about the agreement signed between OREDA and Seashore Group for a solar project,” Choudhury had told reporters after he had come out of the CBI office at about 12.15 pm yesterday.

In 2012, Seashore had signed a MoU with OREDA for setting up a solar power plant at Titilagarh in Bolangir district and had deposited an amount of Rs 2.53 crore as earnest money. But work on the project never took off, Choudhury had said.

In July, the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch, which was probing the chit fund scam before the CBI took over, had asked OREDA to cancel the MoU with Seashore and attach the earnest money which could be later used to pay off depositors duped by the company.

In a related development depositors of Microfinance Ltd met CBI officials here and lodged complaints of being duped by the company and sought action against it.

The CBI had yesterday raided the residence of Durga Prasad Mishra, former managing director (MD) of Microfinance Ltd, in Patia in the afternoon.

A four-member team of CBI had swooped down on Mishra’s residence, House No 11 in Aryabhumi Apartments in Patia, at about 2 pm and had left around 3.30 pm.

The CBI team reportedly enquired about the whereabouts of Mishra, who was not present in the house when the search operation was conducted.

The CBI had reportedly seized several important documents from Mishra’s residence.