The Odisha High Court on Thursday completed hearing on the bail plea of Seashore Group of Companies director Pravat Kumar Dash and reserved its verdict. Pravat is the younger brother of the company’s CMD Prashant Kumar Dash and was arrested by the CBI in January this year in connection with the probe into the multi-crore chit fund scam in the State.
The High Court, however, adjourned the hearing on Prashant’s bail application to July 30. Prashat was arrested by the State Crime Branch police from Mumbai in June 2013 for his alleged key role in duping his company’s hundreds of investors of round Rs 1,200 crore. He is now languishing in jail for over two years as his bail applications have been turned down by several courts repeatedly.
On the other hand, Pravat pleaded in the High Court that he was granted bail by the same court earlier when he was arrested by the Crime Branch. He said he had cooperated with the prosecution earnestly while pleading to get bail. But the CBI counsel vehemently opposed his contention, saying that being a director of the company he might tamper with the evidences when the money trail angle is currently being probed.
Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo while adjudicating the bail applications also adjourned the hearings on the pleas made by suspended BJD MP Ramachandra Hansda and former BJP MlA Hitesh Bagarti to July 30. Both Hansda and Bagarti were arrested in November last year in connection with the Nabadigant chit fund scam.