ED Grills Odisha MLA Pradeep Panigrahi’s Wife

Bhubaneswar: Odisha MLA and former BJD leader Pradeep Panigrahi’s wife Sujata Panigrahi was interrogated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday in connection with financial transactions.

The legislator from Gopalpur in Ganjam district was arrested earlier in an alleged job fraud case.

According to reports, ED officials interrogated Sujata for over seven hours at the central agency’s office in Bhubaneswar.

Speaking to media persons outside the ED office, Sujata denied her involvement in any illegal financial transaction and said that she has given all information to the ED officials.

On Tuesday, the ED officials had interrogated Pradeep Panigrahi’s daughter Shruti Panigrahi.

Panigrahi, a former Odisha Minister, was accused of cheating youths by making false promises of jobs in a private company. He was allegedly collecting money from job aspirants on promise of providing employment in the company.

It was alleged that the MLA was collecting money on behalf of Akash Pathak, son of former IFS officer Abhay Pathak, on false promise of jobs.

Abhay Pathak was given compulsory retirement by the state government following charges of corruption.

Three cases were registered against Panigrahi at Golanthara police station, two with Baidyanathpur police station in Ganjam district and one with the Odisha Crime Branch in connection with the alleged job fraud. He was granted bail last year.