Samata Karanti Dal chief and former Union Minister Braja Kishore Tripathy’s allegation of money transfer from Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda’s bank account to the BJD account took a new turn on Thursday as a person also named Sabyasachi Panda admitted the transfer transaction.
Panda, a Brahmapur-based businessman, had on Wednesday refuted Tripathy’s charge, but his statement on Thursday has raised many eyebrows in political circles.
“I have donated Rs1 lakh as a well-wisher of the BJD. It does not mean that I have any links with the party,” Panda told a section of media.
When asked why he had made the donation, he said, “I paid the money because I had the ability at the time.”
Panda said, “I support the BJD for Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s ideology. Besides, my family also fully supports the party.”
Rejecting Braja Tripathy’s charge that he had paid money to former Ganjam BJD district president Subash Moharana, Panda said, “Subash Moharana is my friend and business aide.”
Panda demanded that Tripathy tender apology for having made “false” allegations. “He termed me as Maoist leader Sabysachi Panda and made false charges against me. I will file a defamation case against him if he does not seek apology in public.”
In response, Tripathy said, “I have given the facts to the Prime Minister and urged him to order for a probe by a Central agency. As the transaction has been made in violation of laws, there is nothing wrong in asking for a probe. I have not named anyone. There was no motive to defame anyone.”