Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch today arrested BJD leader Raja Chakra in connection with large-scale irregularities in a mining and transport scam.
Chakra was arrested after the Orissa High Court vacated the interim stay granted to him yesterday. The court also rejected the bail applications of four other associates of Chakra.
According to EOW, Raja Chakra was taken into custody following a marathon interrogation by Crime Branch officials to determine his role in the scam.
The EOW had registered a case against Raja Chakra on March 7 under Sections 406, 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, and 120-B of the IPC, based on a complaint from a villager residing near the Gandhamardan Mines in Keonjhar district.
The complainant alleged large-scale irregularities in the functioning of Gandhamardan Loading Agency and misappropriation of cooperative funds meant for the welfare of villagers affected by mining activities.
Crime Branch DG Vinayatosh Mishra said, “Based on this complaint, a detailed investigation was conducted. During the inquiry, it was found that the loading agency had earned approximately Rs185 crore from 2017-18 to March 2024, a figure that may increase further after a comprehensive audit.”
He further revealed that the broad investigation indicated that the President and Secretary of the cooperative, Manas Barik and Utkal Das, along with some other influential local figures, had defrauded substantial amounts.
Both the President and Secretary of the Cooperative society have already been arrested by the Crime Branch.
The Crime Branch DG further informed that Rs34 crore were taken in the name of Peripheral Development, but no actual development work was carried out, as per reports from two Block Development Officers.
Similarly, Rs.9.1 crore were paid to Maa Kali Petrol Pump, which, instead of supplying fuel to Gandhamardan Mines Limited (GML), provided fuel to the vehicles of Soumya Shankar Chakra, alias Raja Chakra.
However, the payments were made by GML. Mishra also noted that around Rs.33 crores were distributed among local villagers, who were supposed to be members of the cooperative society. This ensured their continued support for Shri Chakra.
The EOW also found that around 74 crore has been shown as loading charges and labour payment. The corresponding Muster Roll and vouchers indicate huge mismatch. It has been decided to get the period audited after which detailed defalcation would be known.
It is to further inform that the society has not conducted audits since 2012 and 13. Though Chakra was not associated with the society on paper, society was running as per his dictates through his henchman Sadashiv Samal, Sudhansu Shekhar Naik and Samir Jena, he said.
Raja Chakra has founded Sankar Mineral, Shankar Transporting Shankar Roadways and Sankar Project etc. to run his business.
It is worthwhile to mention that so far, 42 vehicles belonging to Raja Chakra have been seized and further two screening plants have been seized.
Basing on financial investigation, several bank accounts have been frozen and an amount of about 25 akh freezed in the banks.
He is being interrogated and further investigation is being done to unearth the involvement of other persons and the entire racket.