CBI Joint Director Rajiv Singh on Tuesday met Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra over the probe of the multi-crore chit fund scam by the Central investigation agency as directed by the Supreme Court recently.
Sources further said that State Home Secretary Vipin Saxena and ADG of Crime Branch BK Sharma were also present during the meeting. The Odisha unit of the CBI is not part of the probe team. However, the Central CBI team would seek its assistance as and when required, the sources said. Before the CBI Joint Director’s one-day visit here on Tuesday, 15 members of a 30-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed for probe into the chit fund scam have already camping in Bhubaneswar since May 13, according to sources. The SIT is maintaining utmost secrecy about its activities.
Top CBI officials are also likely to meet soon activist Alok Jena, on whose petition the Supreme Court ordered the CBI inquiry into the scam on May 9, the sources said, adding that Jena has many new materials relating to the scam to apprise the investigating agency.The SIT, working under the supervision of 1993-batch IPS officer Rajiv Singh, is to submit its interim report to the CBI Directorate by the end of July and the report would then be placed before the Supreme Court in a sealed cover.
Alok Jena and the office-bearers of the Soochana Adhikar Abhiyan welcomed the arrival of the CBI personnel in the State.In a related development, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch police on Tuesday sought consent of the State Finance Department to confiscate the properties belonging to chit fund company Ashore Group.
Sources said the EOW has sought permission from the Finance Department to confiscate 28 acres of land worth Rs 85 lakh belonging to the Ashore Group.