Bhubaneswar: Former Odisha DGP Sanjeev Marik today threatened to file a defamation case against former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director M. Nageswara Rao in the Rs 250 crore alleged land scam in the capital city where the two former top cops had entered into land deals.

While Marik's son had purchased a patch of land, sale deeds were also executed in favour of Rao's wife and son, an RTI activist had claimed which later snowballed into a major controversy. Though Rao disposed of the land in subsequent times, Marik's son is still in possession of the land.

After the press conference by a group of RTI  activists, the two former policemen and caught in a verbal duel. Meanwhile, Marik has threatened to take legal recourse.

Also Read: Odisha cadre former IPS officers shift blame over Rs 250 Crore ‘land scam’ in Bhubaneswar

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“Charges leveled against me by M Nageswara Rao are completely false and baseless. He had lodged an FIR with EOW on November 5, 2015 and I was transferred elsewhere three days later. A month later, I retired from service. Hence, it is baseless to say that I had pressurised the investigation. I have documents with me in support of all that I say,” former IPS officer Marik told mediapersons.

“Nageswara Rao held powerful positions in Odisha and at Centre while he was posted as CBI, Director. However, the motive why he did not follow up with the FIR registered by him is better known to him. Possibly, there could be two reasons: firstly, the case had no merit. Secondly, he wanted to sell the property at a premium. He had then demanded around Rs 1 Crore (from the land seller Nrusingha Sundaray) to cancel the sale deed and settle the matter once and for all,” Marik stated.

“Moreover, when I was the DG (Operation) and Nageswara Rao was the IG (CRPF), he had deployed a deputy commandant in Kalimela. Because of this wrong posting, the deputy commandant died in a naxal attack. In connection with the incident, I had written to former DG (CRPF) Vijay Kumar regarding this. He might be carrying a grudge against me and levelling baseless allegations against me,” Marik expressed.

“I will certainly file a defamation case against him after consulting my legal counsel,” the former DGP added.

When contacted, the former CBI Director Nageswara Rao declined to comment on this matter saying "I have already said what I had to say. I have nothing more to say now.”

Recently, a section of media reported about a land scam to the tune of Rs 250 crore under Patrapada mouza in the capital city, where several influential people have purchased patches of land. An RTI activist previously alleged that the patch of land located by the side of the national highway was transferred to the name of an individual with connivance of some government officials.