Odisha: Akash Pathak Appears Before ED In Tata Motors Job Fraud Case

Bhubaneswar: Akash Pathak, son of tainted IFS officer Abhaykant Pathak, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Tata Motors job fraud case on Wednesday.

Akash had allegedly duped crores of rupees from job aspirants by impersonating managing director of Tata Motors ‘passenger division’. He used to give fake appointment letters to youths for the posts of graduate engineer trainees as well as management trainees with salaries ranging between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 8 lakh per annum.

Odisha CID estimated that at least 100 youths in Ganjam district were defrauded of anything between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh for a job at the company.

Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy, whose daughter was set to marry Akash, allegedly worked as a conduit for him. Panigrahy was also arrested in the case but granted bail later. He was released on June 13, 2021, after spending over five months in jail.

Later on June 25, 2021,  the Orissa HC also granted conditional bail to Akash in connection with the case registered at Baidynathpur police station in Ganjam district.

His name made it to the police files after Tata Motors lodged a complaint with state CID twice about Akash posing as the company’s MD.