Opp questions chitfund panel head attending BJD programme

Opposition Congress and BJP in Odisha questioned the neutrality of the chitfund probe panel, headed by Justice (retd.) M M Das who attended a function organised by the ruling BJD in Cuttack today.
The retired Orissa High Court judge has been heading the judicial commission probing matters relating to alleged cheating of investors by different chitfund companies. He attended BJD lawyers' forum meeting as the chief guest on occasion of Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das' birth anniversary. Law minister Arun Sahu also attended the meeting.
"The head of the chitfund scam probe panel attending a political party meeting has cast doubt in the minds of the people over the outcome of the commission's judgement," said OPCC president Prasad Harichandan.

Justice (retd.) Das, however, clarified that he addressed the meeting as it was attended by more than 200 lawyers and he did not consider the event as a function of BJD.
"I believe there is no issue attending a lawyers' gathering. I have attended the programme as a retired judge, not as a Commission head. What I have stated in the meeting is my personal opinion and the ruling party has nothing to do with it. I know my job very well," he said.
Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of Congress, who is also an eminent lawyer, said, "I am not in favour of a judicial commission head attending the function of a political party. He should not have attended the programme."

BJP legislator Pradeep Purohit said it is "unfortunate" that Das attended the meeting.

"Since the event was organised by a political party, he should not continue as the head of the Commission investigating the chitfund scam," he said, adding the poor investors would lose faith in the government which has assured an unbiased investigation into the scam.
BJD, however, defended Justice (retd.) Das.
"Since he is a retired judge, I have nothing to say about his decision to attend a programme. I should not interfere in his meetings and schedules. Besides, the lawyers' body is not a political institution but a social outfit. It provides legal aid to the poor and underprivileged. It is not a wing of BJD," BJD spokesperson Ananta Das said.