Odisha: ED grills Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy’s wife for eight hours

Bhubaneswar: Officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) today interrogated Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy’s wife Sujata Panigrahy in connection with huge financial transactions in the legislator’s account.

The MLA was arrested earlier in an alleged job fraud case.

The ED officials interrogated Sujata for around eight hours at the central agency’s office here.

“I have given all information to the ED officials. I have no link with any illegal monetary transaction,” said Sujata to media persons outside the ED office.

The ED officials had interrogated Pradeep Panigrahy’s daughter Shruti Panigrahy yesterday.

The legislator was accused of cheating youths with fake promises of jobs in Tata Motors. He was allegedly collecting money from job aspirants on promise of postings in Tata Motors.

It was alleged that Panigrahy was collecting money on behalf of Akash Pathak, son of former IFS officer Abhay Pathak, on false promise of jobs.

Abhay Pathak was given compulsory retirement by the state government on charges of corruption. Panigrahy’s daughter was scheduled to get married to Akash a few years ago.

Three cases were registered against Panigrahy at Golanthara police station, two with Baidyanathpur police station in Ganjam district and one with Odisha Crime Branch in connection with the job fraud.

The Orissa High Court had granted bail to Panigrahy in June last year.