A Vigilance court here on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of Odisha Jan Morcha (OJM) secretary general Jagneswar Babu by 14 days in connection with the cases of financial irregularities during his tenure as the President of the Odisha State Cooperative Bank (OSCB).
As Babu’s bail pleas in connection with two cases have already been refused, he will be in judicial custody for another two weeks for interrogation. But the handcuffing of Babu by the police while taking him to the court sparked controversy with his lawyer vehemently objecting to it. So, while on his way out of the court to jail the handcuffs were not used.
Babu told the media that the Government is treating him as a hardened criminal with a motive to defame the Odisha Jan Morcha. The efforts to demoralise the OJM cadres would not succeed, he added.
Earlier on May 1, Babu was arrested by the Vigilance police on the charges of defrauding the State's largest cooperative bank to the tune of Rs 37 crore.
The State Vigilance has charged Babu with misusing his official position to get loans of about Rs 37 crore sanctioned from the OSCB to Balangir-based Bijayananda Sugar Mill, of which he also was the president.