Chitfund accused arrested for assaulting journalists

A chit-fund scam accused, being probed by the CBI and currently out on bail, was today arrested here for allegedly assaulting journalists during a search of his house.
Ranjan Dash was arrested after he assaulted some journalists who had gathered near his residence in Badagada area here, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Satyabrata Bhoi said.
Some mediapersons, mostly photo journalists, had assembled near the house of Dash, Chairman of Swastik India Multi State Credit Cooperative, a chit fund company, after getting to know about the CBI raid, police officials said.
The scribes were manhandled and assaulted by Dash and his guards.

Dash, arrested by the CBI last year in Artha Tatwa case, was granted conditional bail on the orders of the High Court in January. He was considered a close confidant of suspended BJD MLA Pravat Tripathy, who was arrested by the CBI last year and is out on bail now.
In view of today's incident, the Commissionerate Police would write to the CBI court requesting it to cancel the bail granted to Ranjan Dash, the DCP said.

A case has been registered against Dash under various sections of the IPC and the Arms Act.
A number of senior journalists and editors rushed to Badagada police station after the incident and condemned the incident.

Apart from Dash's house, other Swastik premises were also raided in different localities of Bhubaneswar and other places of the state, officials said.