Odisha: ED grills Ashirbad Behera’s kin in Barabati Stadium land scam

Bhubaneswar: Sanjit Samal, son-in-law of former Odisha Olympic Association (OOA) secretary Ashirbad Behera was grilled by Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials for about three and half hours today in connection with the Barabati Stadium land grabbing case.

Samal appeared before the ED in response to summons served to him by the latter on Tuesday over his alleged involvement in the Barabati Stadium land scam.

“The ED quizzed me in connection with the Barabati Palace. I have placed all facts before them. I not involved in any kind of corruption,” said Samal to reporters after his interrogation by the ED.

Sources said Sanjit was a partner in M/s INCON Associates, the firm which had been roped in for construction of a Kalyan Mandap (banquet hall) called the Barabati Palace. It was alleged that Behera had shown undue favours towards his son-in-law to illegally lease out land inside the Barabati Stadium for constructing 23 shops adjacent to it.

Notably, in June last year, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered a case under sections 120(b) and 420 against Behera, Incon Associates and other officials of OOA.

Notably, the OOA was granted 20 acres of government land on lease for construction of Barabati Stadium in 1949, but some 20 years, later Behera allegedly encroached upon two acres of adjacent vacant government land and sub-leased the encroached land for developing various business establishments, including the banquet hall.