By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/JODA: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials seized Rs 133 Crore fixed deposit from the house of mines owner and former MLA Jitu Patnaik.Patnaik’s Bank Accounts in State Bank of India (SBI), IndusInd Bank, Axis Bank, Keonjhar Central Cooperative Bank, and Kotak Bank have been seized.
The probe agency officials are also said to have laid their hands on Rs 69 lakh cash and many other crucial documents including bank passbooks during raid at Patnaik’s residence. An MLA from Champua Assembly constituency between 2009 and 2014, Patnaik has several mines block in Joda area of Keonjhar. He has been accused of allegedly causing revenue losses worth crores of rupees to the Odisha government by carrying out illegal mining.
Earlier, raids by the ED were conducted in the office and residences of former Champua MLA and mine owner Jitu Patnaik at Joda and Bhubaneswar in connection with a money laundering case.
Some influential BJD leaders, who are said to be in partnership with Patnaik in mining business, are also alleged to be involved in money laundering case.
However, details of the findings of the raids were yet to be ascertained as the searches were still going on. Sources said machines were used to count the cash recovered from Patnaik house at Joda.
It may be noted here that , Jitu Patnaik has several mines block in Joda area. However, he had allegedly carried out mining illegally from 1999 to 2009 due to which the Odisha government had to bear a loss of revenue to the tune of Rs 130 crore.
Later, taking a serious note of the loss of revenue, the State Vigilance filed a case of money laundering against him in 2009 and submitted the charge sheet in 2013. Now, the Enforcement Directorate is conducting raids.
