Bhubaneswar: The Econonic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha Crime Branch on Tuesday raided the residence of Ardhendu Das, editor of a private news channel, in Bhubaneswar for allegedly duping a person to the tune of about Rs 1 crore.
On June 23, the EOW lodged a complaint against Ardhendu on the basis of a complaint filed by Gangandeep Singh of Delhi-based Solution Broadcaster Proprietor. He alleged that Ardhendu contacted him in 2020 to set up a television channel at Badagada on Tankapani Road here. He had signed Rs 1.47 crore agreement with Singh for electronic items and provided Rs 10 lakh in advance. Singh despatched the required items on October 21, 2020. Ardhendu was required to pay the remaining amount in six months. When he failed to comply with the agreed terms even after 20 months, Singh approached the Crime Branch here, sources said.
Following this, Ardhendu was served notices to depose before EOW twice, but he failed to do so. He was also not present during the raid which began this morning.
The news channel headed by Ardhendu has claimed that a conspiracy has been hatched to frame him.
Odisha Bytes tried to contact Ardhendu over the phone to get his version but he did not answer. We will carry his version as and when we get it.
Notably, Ardhendu had moved Supreme Court against Orissa High Court’s May 9 order not granting a stay on the the ongoing construction and excavation works around the Jagannath Temple in Puri, as part of the Naveen government’s Rs 3200-crore heritage corridor project. The apex court, however, quashed his petition, calling it “frivolous”.
