Expressing satisfaction over the ongoing CBI probe into the mega chit fund scam, in which a ruling BJD MlA and MP have been arrested and a close aide of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been quizzed, leader of Opposition in the Assembly Narasingha Mishra on Sunday said the Central probe agency should interrogate Patnaik before he destroys “evidences”.
Mishra told mediapersons that arrests and interrogation of BJD leaders so far provide enough evidence to interrogate the Chief Minister. “The CBI is now at the doorstep of the Chief Minister as it has quizzed his close aide Saroj Kumar Sahoo. Hence, the CBI should investigate the role of the Chief Minister and interrogate him before he could destroy evidences,” said the veteran Congress leader.
Terming Patnaik as the main villain in the chit fund scam, Mishra said the Chief Minister, who had in the past removed many of his party including Ministers on the ground of being under shadow of corruption and believes in law as he often says that law would take its own course, must apply the same method to him.
Pointing out that senior Cabinet Minister Damodar Rout has already admitted that the Seashore Group of Companies had enjoyed political and Government patronage to which the Chief Minister is yet to respond, Mishra said, “The Chief Minister is yet to deny the remark of Damodar Rout. That means the fraudulent company has got Government patronage.” He also urged the CBI to record the statement of Rout. He slammed the Chief Minister for attending programmes of various chit fund companies, particularly of Seashore, which created confidence among common masses to invest their money in these companies, despite Central Governmen’s and RBI’s warnings.
“The fact that the State Government was opposed to a CBI probe and had excluded six companies like Seashore, Arsth Tatwa, Astha and Nava Diganta, which were added by the Supreme Court tells the entire story,” said Mishra.
These six companies have political links. Now it is clear why the State Government had argued in the apex court to exclude these firms from CBI probe, added Mishra.