Bhubaneshwar: The Central Buraeu of Investigation (CBI) on Friday issued summons to Rajya Sabha member and former Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Pyarimohan Mohapatra over Saradha chit fund scam.
"If tomorrow CBI thinks that Naveen Patnaik has some facts to reveal, then they might summon him also, this is their normal technique," said Pyarimohan Mohapatra. Odisha's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is facing the heat of chit fund scam like never before.
At least three prominent leaders of his party BJD, including an MP and an MLA have been arrested so far by the CBI. Former chief political advisor of Naveen Patnaik for more than a decade, Pyarimohan Mohapatra's house was also raided earlier this week.
This, comes as a major development in the CBI probe raisng several questions on the ruling BJD government's invlovement in the multi million rupees scam.
In Odisha the ruling BJD is facing opposition over the alleged role of atleast two of its leaders in the 20 thousand crore chit fund scam. So far the CBI has arrested over two dozen influential people in Odisha for their alleged links to the chit fund scam.
Leader of opposition, Narsingh Mishra said, "In the past the chief minister was removing his ministers saying that they are under the shadow of corruption, but in this scam there is prima facie evidence against the chief minister himself, so he should immediately step down and the CBI should question him."
The winter session of the Odisha assembly began by these noisy protests by the opposition Congress over the Rs 20 thousand crore chit fund scam and never stopped since, leading to several adjournments of the house for two days.
Just outside the assembly, the anger of over one million depositors who lost their hard earned money to the 150 odd chit fund companies in the state was reflected in this protest rally. Renu Jena, a victim said, "So long we do not get our money back we will continue our protest like this."
Before the CBI started investigating into the chit fund scam after direction from the Supreme court early this year, this case was handled by the Odisha crime branch for two long years. But during this long period the crime branch did not even question a single politician in this huge scam which goes a long way to suggest that the Odisha government has a lot to hide in the chit fund scam.
