ED Files 2nd Supplementary Chargesheet Against Former Odisha MLA Pravat Biswal, Wife & Others

Bhubaneswar: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed the second supplementary prosecution complaint against the former Cuttack MLA Pravat Ranjan Biswal, his wife Laxmi Bilasani Biswal, Seashore Securities Ltd, Seashore Multipurpose Co-operative, their two directors Prashanta Kumar Dash, Pravat Kumar Dash and three others before the Special Court (PMLA) in Bhubaneshwar.

In a release, the central agency on Tuesday said that the special court has taken cognisance of the complaint. It had earlier filed a prosecution complaint in this case in 2016 and the supplementary complaint in 2017.

This has come three days after a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Bhubaneswar framed charges against Biswal and his wife under Sections 420, 120(b), 409, 467, 468 and 471 of IPC over a land deal between Seashore Group and Laxmi Bilasani in which the latter had allegedly received Rs 25 lakh from the chit fund company.

In April this year, the Orissa High Court had turned down Biswal’s request for dropping his name from the chargesheet and instead asked the CBI court to frame charges within two months.

The ED had been investigating into money laundering basing on FIRs and chargesheets filed by Economic Offences Wing of Odisha Crime Branch and the CBI against Seashore Group of Companies, which was one of the firms involved in the ponzi scam.

The investigation revealed that the Ponzi firm had collected huge funds from the public through their registered cooperatives and these funds were diverted to their other shell companies and various related individuals for concealing the source. The proceeds of crime were also channelised through the accused persons named in the supplementary complaint.

In 2022, the central agency had attached assets worth Rs 3.92 crore of the former BJD MLA and Media Guru Consultants Private Limited in connection with the high-profile ponzi scam. Out of the Rs 3.92 crore, the ponzi firm had diverted Rs 25 lakh to Biswal and the remaining to the media company.