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

Cuttack: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today summoned former Secretary of Odisha Olympic Association (OOA), Ashirbad Behera’s son and son-in-law in connection with the much-talked about Barabati Stadium land-grabbing case, sources said.

Subart Behera and Sandip Samal, son and son-in-law of Ashirbad, were asked to depose before the ED on July 21.

Sources said Sandip was the partner of M/s INCON Associates, the company which was roped in for construction of a Kalyan Mandap (banquet hall) called the Barabati Palace. It was alleged that Ashirbad 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.

In June last year, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had lodged a case has been registered 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 Asirbad allegedly encroached upon two acres of adjacent vacant government land and sub-leased the encroached land for developing various business establishments, including a marriage hall and several business establishments.