Bhubaneswar: August 22: Economic Offense Wing of Odisha Crime Brach has arrested a self-styled Godman and a B. Tech Engineer from their home in Bhubaneswar’s Nayapalli and CDA area on charges of embezzling Rs. 3 crore by giving a OTDC’s fake work order to a Contractor.
The arrested Baba is Bijayananda Chowdhury alias Shri Swami Bijayanandaji Maharaj and B.Tech Engineer is Chandan Akash Mohanty.
Both were produced in the SDJM court in Bhubaneswar after their arrest on Saturday.
The OTDC filed a complaint with the EOW last Saturday alleging fraud in the name of Odisha Tourism Development Corporation.
According to the complaint, Chandan Akash Mohanty had earlier been hired as an assistant engineer at OTDC on contractual basis. He, along with others, has been accused of defrauding a special class contractor of Rs 3 crore by ordering OTDC fake work order.
Upon receiving the complaint, the Bhubaneswar Branch EOW’s investigation revealed that during the corona epidemic, a special class contractor named Dhanurddhara Champattiraya was looking for a work order.
At the same time, one of his relatives introduced him to Cuttack-based CDA Baba Bijayananda. Bijayananda had presented himself as the chairman of the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation and a member of the ITDC.
He introduced him to Chandan Akash Mohanty. At the time, Chandan introduced himself as an assistant engineer at Odisha Tourism Development Corporation.
But Akash was working on the contract there until May 31, 2019. Later, using the seals and signatures of OTDC officials, Vijayananda and Chandan had given 23 work orders to special class contractor in-between August 2020 to November 2020. Those included repairs and restoration of Rambha and Barkul Pantha Nivas. Instead, they extorted Rs 3 crore from the contractor.
Of that, Rs 1.16 crore went to Chandan Akash Mohanty’s bank account.
The rest of the money appears to have gone to the self-proclaimed Baba’s account. Further Investigation is going on.
