Odisha: Cong accuses CBI of inaction in chit fund case

Bhubaneswar: The Central Bureau of Investigation, which on the eve of February rural polls in Odisha had stepped up its probe into the alleged links of BJD leaders with fraud chit fund firms, seems to have slipped into a state of inaction in the past few months, amidst accusation by the Congress that the agency was dithering to act after chief minister Naveen Patnaik struck a “peace deal” with the BJP central leaders during his recent trips to Delhi.

“On the eve of 2017 panchayat polls, apparently at the instance of the BJP that is trying to grab power in the state, the CBI had initiated actions against a host of BJD leaders to score a few political brownie points. Now that the elections are over, the CBI has stopped its Odisha probe,” said Congress spokesperson Sarat Rout, adding, the CBI “slipped into comatose” following the BJD president and CM Naveen Patnaik’s recent interactions with BJP central leaders.

 As many as two senior BJD leaders, who were recently dropped by the CM from his council of ministers and a few other party MLAs, are allegedly involved in the chit fund scam.

BJD MP Ramachandra Hansda and former MLA Subarna Naik are currently in jail.