The Commissionerate Police on Wednesday interrogated city-based Hotel Trident general manager (GM) Abhimanyu lodha in connection with the prolonged stay of Deccan Chronicle (DC) Group vice-chairman PK Iyer in the hotel in the name of an airhostess, Chitra Athwani.
Bhubaneswar DCP Satyabrata Bhoi said lodha appeared at the Nayapalli police station at around 12.50 pm. The police officials recorded his statement after questioning him for nearly 45 minutes.
The investigating officer (IO) of the case asked around 15 questions to lodha about Iyer’s prolonged stay in the hotel room which was booked in the name of Chitra Athwani.
A senior police official said lodha gave all his statements in writing to the questions asked by the IO. “The answers will be verified further. If his replies are found unsatisfactory, we will ask him to appear before us again,” said the DCP.
After coming out of the police station, lodha said he had answered all the questions asked by the police. He said he did not know that Iyer was a fugitive from law and there was an NBW pending against him at the time of providing him hospitality. “I will fully cooperate with the police in the investigation,” he added.
Police sources said lodha has held clerical staff of the hotel responsible in the case.
Notably, the Commissionerate Police had served a notice to lodha to appear before the IO on June 6, but his counsel had told the police on June 11 that lodha could not appear on the day as his wife was sick and had sought ten days’ time.