Chit fund scam: CBI carries out searches in four cities

Probing the multi-crore rupees ponzi scam, CBI today carried out searches in four cities including at the residence of a Rajya Sabha MP in connection with its probe into the Seashore group's alleged chit fund scam.
The places searched by the CBI included residence of Pyarimohan Mohapatra, a sitting Rajya Sabha MP from Odhisa, in Delhi and Bhubaneswar and two retired IAS officers from the state, official sources said.
In Bhubaneswar, Mohapatra told reporters, "I welcome the CBI's search at my residence. They (CBI team) searched my residence this morning and have taken away some documents including my bank pass book, property records, party documents and others."

Asked why the searches were conducted, he said, "There was no mention of the reason on the search warrant given to me. Ask CBI people why they searched my house."
Claiming that he had no link with any ponzy scheme companies, Mohapatra said he would like to cooperate with the CBI to unearth the truth and was ready to cooperate with the agency probing the scam as per the Supreme Court direction.
The MP had earlier admitted that he had met Seashore Group CMD Prashant Dash, who is now in jail. "I had met him (Dash) when he came to my house and proposed to set up a maize processing unit in Nabarangpur district. Then he (Dash) came to my house for the second time to invite me to a function."

The CBI was conducting searches in Delhi, Odhisa, Kolkata and Mumbai which included some industrial houses and brokers through whom cash dealing were made, the sources said.

Residences of some of close aides of the Seashore CMD Dash, who is at present in jail, were also searched by the CBI in Odhisa.
Many politicians of Odhisa have been questioned by the CBI in past for their alleged role in the scam.
CBI's probe into the scam may cause embarrassment for the Naveen Patnaik government as it had entrusted the Seashore Group with the task of executing different projects on public-private-partnership mode.

The CBI action came a day after the agency filed its second charge sheet against Saradha group of companies in West Bengal in which former Director General (state armed police) and Trinamool Vice President Rajat Majumdar and East Bengal Club official Debabrata Sarkar were named.