Charges could not be framed against the 21 accused in the Artha Tatwa (AT) Group chit fund scam in the Special CBI Court here on Friday as three of the accused filed discharge petitions. The court has set April 20 as the next date for hearing.
However, the court will hear the discharge petitions before the charges are framed.
Sources said the discharge petitions were filed by BJD MlA Pravat Tripathy, former Advocate General Asokh Mohanty and Mumbai-based model Preeti Bhatia.
Among the accused in the chit fund scam are politicians, businessmen and media house owners. The court will hear the case after the charges are framed.
Notably, the Special CBI Court had on Thursday sentenced AT Group CMD Pradeep Sethy to undergo seven years of imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs 30,000. He was also directed by the court to deposit Rs 250 crore, which will be returned to the duped investors, otherwise his assets will be attached.
Another director of the company, Manoj Patnaik, was sentenced to four years in prison and pay a fine of Rs 10,000.
Sources said like Sethy and Mohanty, some other accused persons in the scam might confess to the charges levelled against them.