The State Government has failed to submit its report in the Supreme Court within two weeks’ time in the matter of chit fund scam which ended on September 23. Sources said the Government has engaged top police officials and eminent lawyers to prepare the status report, but it is yet to be finalised as the Government reportedly does not know what to put in the report to evade a CBI probe into the scam.
The Government, however, seems to have adopted all possible measures to scuttle an inquiry by the Central investigation agency. An apparently-panicked Naveen Patnaik Government has already requested the Odisha High Court to open four designated courts at four separate places on the plea of speedy trial of the cases relating to the chit fund scams.
Earlier, the Government in a bid to evade a CBI probe had also made panicky moves during July 5 to 12, coinciding with the hearings in the Supreme Court. When on July 12 the apex court for the first time issued notices to five State Governments, including Odisha, while adjudicating a petition filed by Alok Jena seeking a CBI probe into the multi-crore chit fund scam, the Odisha Government woke up from its deep slumber and started finding ways as to how to tackle the situation.
The Chief Minister had on May 30 announced that the State Government would request the Odisha High Court to spare the services of a sitting judge to inquire into chit fund scams which was also aimed at bringing out the involvement of influential persons including ‘politicians’, bureaucrats and other sections of the society in protecting or promoting fraudulent chit fund companies. After the Government’s request was turned down by the High Court on June 21, the Government on July 9 appointed a Commission of Inquiry consisting of retired High Court judge RK Patra for the purpose. But the commission was asked to prove and bring out involvement of influential persons, bureaucrats and other section of the society, tactically deleting the word ‘politicians’ which raised many eyebrows.
In the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s notice to the CBI counsel to keep his views on July 5 whether it is ready to take up the Odisha chit fund scam or not, the State Government with an aim to satisfy the court undertook massive State-wide raids on fraudulent chit companies and filed a preliminary chargesheet against Artha Tatwa Group chief Pradeep Sethi and his associates on July 10, a day after the Government announced a Rs 300-crore corpus fund for victims of chit fund companies’ frauds. Even the RK Patra Commission was appointed between July 5 and July 12 which exposed the Government’s attempt to escape from a CBI probe.
Notably, according to reports, the illegal money circulation was going on rampantly across the State between 2001 and 2012 spanning over a decade with the help of politicians and other heavyweights. Even a case was filed against the AT Group in Baleswar during that period, but no action was experienced till 2013. When the case went to the Supreme Court, prompt action was initiated within a few days by the State administration to show its so-called seriousness to impress the court.
Surprisingly, a person holding a high legal position in the State has purchased a house from AT Group chief Sethi at a cost of Rs 1.01 crore at a time when the AT chief was booked for the crime. Even when the police were looking for him to arrest, he merrily sold the property to the top law officer of the State.
Earlier, this house had been purchased by Sethi at Rs 1 crore in the year 2011. Curiously, he sold the house to the highly placed law officer in the year 2013 at Rs 1.01 crore.
This is despite the fact that the price of the house had increased manifold over a period of two years. In fact, the very house ought to have been sealed by the police, observers opine.
Meanwhile, more than three lakh affidavits have been submitted to the RK Patra Commission, for which it may be impossible on the part of the commission to complete the investigation process within the prescribed deadline. Hence, a CBI probe only can give speedy justice to the victims besides bringing the influential persons to book, observers further opine.