Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) Sukanta Panda has landed in a controversy after it was revealed that he had added Himansu Kar alias Bapi, who was interrogated by the EOW and the Vigilance in connection with his involvement with Motilal Gouda, in the WhatsApp group he created for journalists to share the CM’s statements and vice versa.
Now question is being raised as to how a Class-III employee of the Health Department was added by the CM’s PRO in the WhatsApp group which was only meant for journalists.
Kar, who maintains good rapport with three Ministers, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Arun Sahu and Puspendra Singh Deo, reportedly operated as a link between the Ministers and the now-arrested Factories and Boiler Assistant Director Motilal Gouda.
Kar’s pictures with Gouda have been doing rounds ever since the scam surfaced.
It was alleged that with the help of the three Ministers, Kar managed to get contracts for the construction firm, owned by his wife and brother-in-law.