Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Odisha Crime Branch arrested Sushant Samal, a close associate of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Soumya Shankar ‘Raja’ Chakra, on Thursday in connection with the transport scam.
As per sources, Samal is accused of having assisted Chakra in concealing substantial amount of money across various locations.
Samal was arrested after investigation in the case reportedly established his involvement in investing in benami (anonymous) properties and engaging in money laundering activities.
The EOW is likely to seek his remand for further interrogation when he is produced in court.
Notably, Raja Chakra was arrested on March 14 in connection with a multi-crore transport and loading scam and mining irregularities in the Keonjhar district.
The allegations involve large-scale irregularities in the mining and loading of iron ore, with accusations of overcharging and illicit profit-sharing among key stakeholders in a scam estimated to involve around Rs 500 crore.
The EOW’s investigation has intensified, leading to authorities seizing 42 vehicles and two screening plants linked to Chakra. This apart, several bank accounts have been frozen, with approximately Rs 25 lakh immobilised as part of the financial investigation.
Steeping up its probe, the EOW has taken Raja Chakra on a three-day remand for further interrogation to extract certain vital information relating to the multi-crore scam.