Civil society members seek expeditious probe into chit fund scam

Bhubaneswar: Hundreds of civil society members gheraoed the CBI office here on Tuesday demanding proper investigation into the mega chit fund scam in Odisha.

“Political parties have been misusing the CBI for their own interest and gain. Using various tactics, they have intentionally slowed down the investigation into the multi-crore chit fund scam. Therefore, we demand expeditious probe by the central investigating agency and immediate arrest of political leaders and government officials involved in the scam,” said RTI activist Pradip Pradhan.

The CBI recently arrested Cuttack-Choudwar MLA Pravat Biswal for a land fraud involving Seashore Groups of Companies, one of the 44 Ponzi firms probed by the central investigating agency since May 2014 following a Supreme Court order.

Banki MLA Pravat Tripathy were earlier arrested in connection with Artha Tatwa and Mayurbhanj MP Ramachandra Hansdah and former Keonjhar MLA Subarna Naik in the Nava Diganta chit fund fraud. Besides them, Balasore MP Rabindra Jena, Dharmasala MLA Pranab Balabantaray, former minister Sanjay Das Burma are under the CBI scanner for their alleged involvement in the scam.