Seashore Scam: CBI Files Chargesheet Against Odisha’s Former MLA Prabhat Biswal & Wife

Bhubaneswar: More than 9 years after taking over investigation into multi-crore Seashore chit fund scam, the CBI on Saturday filed chargesheet against former MLA Prabhat Ranjan Biswal and his wife Laxmi Bilasini Biswal.

According to sources, the Central investigating agency filed the chargesheet in designated CBI Court in Bhubaneswar under money laundering charge.

The CBI had arrested Biswal, the former BJD legislator from Choudwar-Cuttack, in 2017 in connection with sale of a piece of land in Jajpur district to Seashore Group. Biswal and his wife had sold the land to Seashore for a hefty amount and could not explain the details of the illegal transactions.

Investors were duped of their deposits through the Ponzi firms in the Rs 578-crore scam. The CBI took over investigation of 22 of the 41 FIRs registered against Seashore Group following the Supreme Court order on May 9, 2014.

While trial in 22 cases is pending before the Special CBI Court, the remaining 19 cases are pending in courts in different districts. The police stations in Dhenkanal, Rourkela, Soro, Nabarangpur, Jajpur, Berhampur, Titlagarh and Sonepur had registered the FIRs against the company.