Bhubaneswar, Jan 24: For their alleged connection with Cuttack-Choudwar BJD MLA Pravat Biswal, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday quizzed three persons here. The MLA’s residences in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack were raided earlier this month for his ‘links’ with the chit scam-tainted Seashore Group. Two years ago, Biswal was questioned by CBI. His wife, Laxmi Bilasini Biswal, had been grilled by CBI in connection with the 2011 land deal with Seashore Group, last month. Official sources said, Gouranga Patra and contractors, Aurobinda Jena and Asit Malia were questioned individually by the central agency, which wanted to know their financial transactions with Laxmi Bilasini Biswal, wife of the legislator. Malia, too said that he had lent Biswal the same amount of money some five years back. He informed media that the investigating officers wanted to know all the financial transactions. Patra who deposed before the investigating officials on behalf of Tirthananda Subuddhi Roy, said he appeared before the officials as the latter who represents Biswal failed to make it to the office.
From Monday’s interrogation, it is now confirmed that Laxmi had taken Rs 1 lakh each from Jena and Malia. Though it is immediately not clear about these financial transactions, the agency officials smell a link with the Seashore Group. On Jan 12, the CBI had conducted raids at 25 places in Odisha in connection with the Seashore scam. The residences of BJD MP, Rabindra Jena and Saroj Kumar Sahoo, former-aide of chief minister, Naveen Patnaik were also searched during the raid.
