The CBI has reportedly managed to get vital information on the involvement of political leaders, journalists, businessmen and builders in the AT Group chit fund fraud case.
Sources said AT Group accountant Srikrushna Padhi has stated that a very large part of the deposits made by the investors was earmarked for commissions to agents, costly gift items and bribes.
A lion’s share of the deposits was shared by the company agents while huge amounts were paid to top political leaders, officers, businessmen and journalists, who had provided support and protection to the company, Padhi is believed to have told a CBI team.
He also reportedly informed the interrogators that some builders had taken crores of rupees from the AT Group to buy lands for construction of apartments. But as the builders failed to deliver either the land or flats to the company within specified time frames, the company faced the ire of the depositors.
Padhi also said that a large percentage of the deposits had gone to the agents as commission and costly presents as a result of which the financial status of the company became precarious within two years, in 2012.
He accused some senior members and marketing officials of the company of being responsible for the bankruptcy of the company.
On the basis of the interrogation of Padhi, the CBI has planned to arrest 10 persons whose houses would be raided very soon, reliable sources said.
A 10-member list prepared by the CBI includes a well-known builder and a mines owner. Apart from this, the CBI has also targeted the son of a former Minister and a ruling BJD MlA. After arrest of the three persons, the CBI would take similar action against the other persons in the list, the sources added.
On Monday, the CBI called four persons, a builder, a landowner, marketing head of AT Group and a senior member of the company, to its office here where the documents of the builder and the landowner were verified. The CBI officials asked the builder and the landowner not to leave the capital city without their permission.