Rs 250 Cr Mega Land Scam In Odisha Capital: Ex-CBI Director Says How He Also Fell Victim

Bhubaneswar: In the wake of reports about a Rs 250 crore mega government land scam in Odisha capital, former CBI Director M Nageswara Rao has narrated how he had fallen prey to the racket.

Rao, a retired IPS officer of Odisha cadre, claimed in a post on X handle that he was also the victim of the fraud in which government land was sold by land mafia in cahoots with powerful people.

“I was a victim of a fraud committed by Nrusingha Prasad Sundaray alias Babino in cahoots with powerful people in which they fraudulently sold government land which they encroached by creating forged documents etc, and the sale deed was registered with Sub-Registrar Office, Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar,” the former CBI chief said.

Rao further stated that he had lodged complaint on November 5, 2015 with the SP of EOW, Bhubaneswar for registration of an FIR. “But I am ashamed to inform that being a senior IPS officer of Odisha and in spite of my efforts, I failed to get the FIR registered as powerful were involved,” he said.

“Later a Civil Suit No. 9211/2015 was filed before the Court of Additional Civil Judge, Senior Division, Bhubaneswar but I did not get any relief as powerful people are involved in it,” said Rao.

Stating that he was totally exhausted, the former IPS officer said finding no way to get justice, and in view of impending marriage of his daughter for which he needed money, he agreed to get the deed cancelled. “I agreed for deed of cancellation which was registered on 4th June 2017 in the SRO, Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar and my money was returned,” he said.

Rao further stated that he had reported all these facts immediately after purchase and also every year since 2011 to 2017 in his Annual Property Returns submitted to Odisha Government and Central Government.

According to an RTI reply which was reported recently, land measuring around 7.5 acres located on government plot no- 321 under Patrapada Mouza and situated alongside National Highway, has been sold and purchased at least 27 times. At least four IPS officers, including Rao, also reportedly fell victim to the fraud.

Sale deeds were reportedly executed in the names of former Director General of Police (DGP) Odisha Sanjeev Marik’s son Sudeep Marik (in 2009), former Director of Intelligence R.P Koche (in 2010), former Additional DGP Shyam Sundar Hansdah’s wife and son (in 2011) and  M. Nageswara Rao’s wife and son (in 2011), among several others.

Rao claimed that though he lodged a complaint with the EOW in 2015, they did not register any case when Sanjeev Marik was the DGP, and many powerful people are involved in this. Finally, he was forced to go for deed cancellation, he said.

Refuting the allegation as false, Marik claimed that he himself was a victim in the whole episode. “It is not a fact. He (Rao) had a fight with the person from whom he had bought the land. Nrusingha had even lodged a complaint against Nageswara Rao. If I bought a land and I was cheated, then a case will be under 420, 467, 468 and 471 will be lodged. He has never approached me, he is lying,” the ex-DGP claimed.

Noting that Rao lodged an FIR directly with the EOW, Marik said B K Sharma, who was the EOW head then, was his batchmate. Marik sought to know why he did not approach Sharma.

No comment could be obtained from Nrusingha or the other IPS officers regarding the alleged land scam.