Odisha chit fund scam: SC grants bail to model Preeti Bhatia

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
New Delhi, Nov 4:

The Supreme Court today granted bail to Mumbai based model Preeti Bhatia, an accused in the multi-crore Odisha chit fund scam.

Model Preeti Bhatia was arrested by the CBI for her alleged complicity with the Artha Tatwa (AT) Group, a major player in the mega chit fund scam in Odisha, on October 10 last year. She is now lodged in Jharpada jail in Bhubaneswar.

The model had moved the apex court after her bail plea was rejected first by the CJM court of CBI, then the Khordha district and sessions court and subsequently by the Odisha High Court on March 16 this year.

On March 16, Bhatia’s counsel had filed the appeal before the apex court challenging the order of Odisha High Court, which had turned down her bail petition on the same day.

Hearing the case, the apex court had directed Bhatia to deposit a sum of Rs 1, 17, 83, 000 within six weeks with the special CBI Court here.

Only after the amount is deposited by her will the court consider whether she will be granted bail or not, the apex court had said.

Bhatia on June 5 this year deposited a sum of Rs 1, 17, 83,000 at the special CJM court of the CBI in Bhubaneswar as a precondition set by the Supreme Court for her bail plea to be heard.

Bhatia’s counsel AK Singh had deposited the sum in the CBI court.