CBI quizzes top Odisha Police officer in chit fund scam

The agency quizzed Rajesh Kumar, the deputy inspector general of Odisha's north-central range, for over three hours

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today interrogated senior IPS officer Rajesh Kumar here in connection with the multi-crore chit fund scam in Odisha.

Kumar, the first IPS officer to be quizzed by the central agency in connection with the ponzi scheme scam in the state, appeared at the CBI office here and was grilled by the investigators for over three hours, CBI sources said.

"I have told the CBI whatever I had to tell," Kumar told reporters while emerging out of the CBI state headquarters, declining to say anything more.

The sources said Kumar was questioned about his links with Subhankar Nayak, a middleman and broker, who was arrested by the CBI on November 18 for alleged links with Seashore chit fund company.

The senior cop was grilled by the CBI sleuths on the basis of information obtained from the diaries and other documents seized from Nayak's house here, they said.

As a DIG, Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch of police before being posted as north-central range DIG, Kumar was in charge of the investigation into the chit fund scam, the sources said.

Subsequently, the CBI took over the probe following a Supreme Court directive.

Sources said names of some senior bureaucrats and police officers figure in the diaries seized from the house of Subhankar Nayak, who allegedly cultivated senior officials on behalf of Seashore group.

Seashore group's CMD Prashant Dash has also been arrested.