‘Media Shield’ & ‘Media Trial’, Odisha BJD & Cong Leaders React To Arrests In Sarua Land Scam

Bhubaneswar: Hours after senior BJD leader and Rajya Sabha member Dr Sasmit Patra slammed BJP leader Baijayant Panda for using media as a shield to protect illegalities in his business, senior Congress leader and Balangir MLA Narasingha Mishra spoke against media trial of the case.

In a series of tweets, Patra questioned as to why OTV defended the arrested director of Odisha Infratech Pvt Ltd through a press release while the owners are silent on the issue.

The arrestee, Manoranjan Sarangi, is also the OTV’s Chief Finance Officer.

Reacting to Sarangi’s arrest by the Crime Branch, Narasingha Mishra said let the law take its own course in the case.

“He was issued notices several times in the past. The Crime Branch arrested him after investigating the matter. The media should not try to influence any case,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Crime Branch has arrested one more person, Siba Prasad Shrichandan, in connection with the alleged land grabbing at Sarua village in Khurda district.

He is an agent of Odisha Infratech Pvt Ltd.

Sarangi, on the other hand, is in two-day EOW’s custody.

It may be mentioned here that after the resignation of the OTV MD Jagi Mangat Panda as the director of the Odisha Infratech Ltd in 2010, Sarangi and Bibhu Rath were appointed as the directors of the company. During their tenure, the process of purchase of land at Sarua had begun the same year.

The company is accused of purchasing land belonging to Scheduled Caste persons circumventing rules/laws using forgery/cheating/intimidation and other dubious methods with an intention to cause losses to them.

Baijayant Panda, his wife Jagi Mangat Panda and Panda Investments owned by Baijayant have shares in Odisha Infratech Pvt Ltd.