Odisha chit fund scam: CBI interrogates another BJD legislator

In what could spell more embarrassment for Odisha's ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which is already rocked by the probe into the chit fund scam, another BJD legislator, Pravat Biswal, was Friday questioned by the CBI for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore rupee scandal.

Biswal was interrogated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for his alleged links with the Seashore Group, a major chit fund player in Odisha.

Biswal arrived at the CBI office after Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra was questioned for around four and a half hours over his links with Seashore Group chief Prasant Dash.

"The CBI had summoned me, that's why I appeared," Biswal, BJD legislator from Choudwar in Cuttack, told the media.

According to CBI sources, Biswal was questioned about his role in setting up three small industries in Jagatpur industrial area in Cuttack.

It also quizzed him about a tourism project - related to boat rides on the Mahanadi river in Cuttack - for which Seashore had signed an agreement with the state government, sources said.

The chit fund company had inked several agreements with the Odisha government in the tourism, health and cooperative sectors.

Rajya Sabha member Mohapatra was the second-in-command in the Naveen Patnaik government before he fell from grace in May 2012.

"I don't want to comment on the CBI interrogation. It will affect the investigation process," Mohapatra told reporters.

He, however, said he was interrogated in the presence of Seashore chief Prasant Dash over the chit fund scam.

The CBI had raided Mohapatra's residence in Bhubaneswar and New Delhi Nov 18 and seized various documents including his bank account details.

The Enforcement Directorate had also quizzed him a few days back over his alleged links with the Seashore chief.

While BJD legislator Pravat Tripahty is in jail for his alleged links with the Artha Tatwa Group, BJD Lok Sabha member from Mayurbhanj Rama Chandra Hansdah, former BJD legislator Subarna Nayak and former BJP legislator Hitesh Bagarti are also in jail for their alleged links with the Nabadiganta Capital Financial Services, another chit fund firm involved in the scam.