Odia movie actors under scanner for chit fund links: Police

Certain people connected with the Odia film industry are under the scanner of the Odisha Police's Crime Branch probing the money trail of the Oscar Chit Fund company, a senior police officer said on Wednesday.

Special Director General of Police Bijay Kumar Sharma said the money trail of Oscar Group's chairman Prabhas Rout and his association with the Odia film industry will be probed.

The Crime Branch has formed a team comprising five DSP-rank police officers to investigate the matter and is preparing a list of movie actors to be questioned, informed sources said.

The crime branch is interrogating Rout, who was arrested from New Delhi on June 10. The investigating agency on Tuesday night arrested three company directors as well.

The sources said Rout had collected over Rs 230 crore in Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat by floating various schemes.

Rout had produced four Odia films -- 'To Akhire Mu' (2010), 'Most Wanted' (2011), 'Balunga Toka' (2011) and 'Rangeela Toka' (2012)-- by allegedly investing money collected from gullible people.

Actors-turned-politicians in the ruling Biju Janata Dal have acted in the movies produced by Rout, including party MPs Anubhav Mohanty and Siddhanta Mohapatra and comedian Papu Pompom alias Tatwa Prakash Satapathy.

Satapathy had unsuccessfully contested on a BJD ticket from Champua assembly segment in Keonjhar district.

Meanwhile, the crime branch has decided to seek further police remand of Rout since it will end on Wednesday.

--IANS

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