Expressing dissatisfaction over the ongoing CBI probe into the mega chit fund scam in the State, the Utkal Bharat on Thursday demanded a CBI probe monitored by the Supreme Court into the scam, claiming that many high profile people like a High Court judge, politicians, ruling party leaders, bureaucrats, lawyers and even CBI officials are involved in the scam both directly and
indirectly.
Party president MA Kharabela Swain here at a Press conference also pleaded that the apex court should shift the trial outside Odisha for free and fair hearing.
“So far as the ongoing CBI investigation into the chit fund scam in the State and the partiality by the Odisha High Court and High Court Bar Council and Bar Association in former Advocate General Asok Mohanty’s release on bail are concerned, we have no faith either on judiciary in the State nor on the CBI,” alleged Swain.
Swain said the manner in which lawyers of the State and the Odisha HC expressed sympathy towards the former AG, who was arrested by the CBI for his alleged links with the AT Group, the people of the State have lost their faith in the probe process.
Claiming that proper legal procedure was not followed by the former Odisha High Court judge and the current Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court lK Mohapatra when he sold his land, which he had got out of discretionary quota, to AT Group chief Pradeep Sethy in 2011 and which was later transferred to former AG Mohanty, Swain demanded that the CBI probe this angle too.
“Justice Mohapatra sold his land in Markatnagar area to AT chief Sethy through just an affidavit and Sethy sold the same to former AG Mohanty through an affidavit at a cost of Rs 1,00,01,000 which was arbitrary in nature,” alleged Swain.
While Sethy is claiming that he had sold the land to the former AG Mohanty at a cost of Rs 1,00,01,000, now Mohanty is telling that he has bought the land at a cost of Rs 1,01,00,000, Swain stated.
Furthermore, while Mohanty is claiming that he has made the payments of rest Rs 30 lakh through cheques to Sethy in the year 2013, reports revealed that he received the cheques from bank in 2014, Swain added.
Meanwhile, social activist Alok Jena, on whose petition the Supreme Court ordered the CBI inquiry into the chit fund scam, told reporters here that he is planning to pray to the apex court through affidavits after the Diwali vacation to monitor the CBI probe.