Bhubaneswar: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized Rs 133 crore fixed deposit of mines owner and former Champua MLA Jitu Patnaik on money laundering charges following raids at four places in Bhubaneswar and Joda in Odisha’s Keonjhar district.
“A seizure of cash amounting to Rs. 70 lakh and 124 fixed deposits amounting to Rs. 133.17 crore was made during the search operations along with a seizure of various incriminating documents and digital evidence,” the ED release said.
Simultaneous searches were conducted at Patnaik’s residence in Joda, office at Baneikala Chhak in Keonjhar and house at Surya Nagar in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The former legislator, who owns several mines block in Joda area of Keonjhar, has been accused of causing revenue losses worth crores of rupees to the Odisha government by carrying out illegal mining.
The money-laundering investigation was conducted on the basis of the 2009 FIR and the chargesheet filed by Odisha vigilance against Patnaik and others. “As per the charge sheet filed by the State Vigilance, the accused indulged in illegal mining for a long period causing huge loss to the government exchequer which amounts to be more than Rs 130 crore. Thus, ED has been able to recover almost entire amount of proceeds of crime,” it added.
Speaking to the media, Patnaik said that he does not possess any black money. “Vigilance had registered a case against BD Patnaik. I am his legal heir, so my property was also raided. The Rs 69 lakh cash recovered during the raid is my earning from the petrol pump and house rents,” he added.
