The CBI on Monday arrested State Youth Congress president Rajat Choudhury and former Additional Government lawyer Devasish Panda in connection with their complicity with the Artha Tatwa (AT) Group chit fund scam.
They were arrested by the Central agency hours after they deposed before the officials here for interrogation and hours before the agency officials quizzed AT Group chief Pradip Sethy in the Jharpada Special Jail here.
Choudhury came under the scanner of the CBI in 2014 for a land deal involving Rs 94 lakh. He had the power of attorney of a property belonging to AT Group. The property was sold for Rs 4 lakh to chit fund scam accused Dilip Mohanty who never actually paid the amount to the firm. Earlier, he was quizzed several times by the CBI.
Panda’s suspected role came under CBI scanner after the arrest of former Advocate General Asok Mohanty on September 22, 2014 in the AT Group case. Panda, who served as Additional Government Advocate from 2009 and 2014, had signed as a witness in sale deed of a house that Mohanty bought from chit fund accsued Sethy.
The CBI claimed Mohanty did not pay all the money to Sethy, thereby misappropriating AT Group funds. Hence, Panda is accused of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery for cheating, using as genuine a forged document and criminal intimidation by the CBI.
Meanwhile, the All Indian Youth Congress suspended Rajay Choudhury, informed PCC president Prasad Harichandan. Protesting the arrest of their leader, Youth Congress activists also staged protest in front of CBI office demanding his release. In the meantime, the CBI conducted raids at the house of Choudhury after his arrest.