Odisha’s BJP MP Pradeep Panigrahy Acquitted Of All Job Fraud Charges

Berhampur: The JMFC (Rural) here on Wednesday acquitted BJP MP from Berhampur Pradeep Panigrahy in the remaining three job fraud cases.

This comes a day after Panigrahy got relief from the special designated court for MPs and MLAs in two other cases registered in Golanthara and Baidyanathpur police stations.

A total of five job fraud cases were registered at these police stations against the Berhampur MP, alleging that he cheated youths on the false pretext of providing them jobs in an automobile company.

On Tuesday, the MP’s counsel Deepak Patnaik said Panigrahy was acquitted in the two cases due to lack of evidence. The special designated court for MPs and MLAs also acquitted former IFS officer Abhay Pathak and his son Akash, who were co-accused in one of these cases.

He further informed that the two complainants – Lakshmidhar Naya and Kartik Pradhan, a police constable who served as the security officer of Panigrahy when he was the Gopalpur MLA, told the JFMC court in Berhampur that Panigrahy had not taken any money for getting them jobs in Tata Motors.

Complainants of all the five cases also admitted that they were pressurised by senior officials of Ganjam district and BJD leaders to lodge FIRs against Panigrahy. They also informed the court that they have never seen the Pathak duo, who was named in only one case, he added.

It may be noted that Panigrahy was arrested by the CID Crime Branch (CB) of Odisha Police on December 3, 2020, in connection with the alleged job scam. He was accused of collecting Rs 6 lakh, Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh from youths on behalf of Akash with the promise to provide them jobs in the private firm.

Subsequently, he was expelled from the regional outfit.

The Orissa High Court granted him bail on June 11, 2021. He later joined BJP and was elected as the MP from Berhampur in the last General Elections in the state.