Accusing the CBI of trying to garner cheap publicity, BJD Parliamentary Party leader in Lok Sabha, Bhartuhari Mahatab, today disapproved of the manner in which the central investigation agency arrested Odisha's former advocate general Ashok Mohanty in connection with the chitfund scam.
"I know Mr Ashok Mohanty for last 30 years. He is a respectable senior advocate in Orissa High Court. He does not possess a house of his own even after working as a senior lawyer for 30 years. He purchased one recently. The CBI arrested him just to remain in news," Mahatab told PTI over phone.
Mahatab said, "There was no point to arrest an elderly person like Mohanty. The CBI could have filed chargesheet against him and summon him to the court of law."
"Is he destroying evidences or influencing witnesses?" Mahatab asked adding that the CBI arrested him just to earn "cheap publicity".
Stating that he was not raising question on the merit of the case, the five-time MP from Cuttack Lok Sabha seat, said "The CBI has been creating confusion in the public by unofficially leaking sensational news to television channels."
"Why CBI will not officially issue press briefs in Odisha where it is probing into such a sensational matter," Mahatab said adding that wrong and sensational news also causes problems for the people in general.
The Odisha Bar Council also came in support of Mohanty. "There was no need to arrest an ex-advocate general. He is not running away. He is cooperating with the agency. It appears CBI is doing politics over the ex-AG's arrest," said Odisha Bar Council president Manas Ranjan Mohapatra.
