By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: The ruling Biju Janata Dal MPs in Odisha have launched a twitter war against the high profile BJP National VP and in charge of Delhi and Assam, Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda and his model turned media baron wife, Jagi Panda a day after the Odisha High Court vacated an interim stay order on their possible arrest by the Crime Branch of State Police looking into the Khorda land scam, in which Jay Panda, family owned OTV’s subsidiary Odisha Infra Tech Private Limited.
BJD Rajya Sabha MP Dr Amar Patnaik and Dr Sasmit Patra along with Kedrapara Lok Sabha MP Anubhav Mohanty, have expressed surprise as to how the investigating agency not swung into action and even Actor turn Kendrapara MP Mohanty, alleging Jay and Jagi have been absconding.
Reacting to a tweet of BJP Leader Ram Madhav, BJD MP Dr Patra said “Dear@rammadhavbjp Ji, I have very high regards for you. Hon’ble Odisha High Court in its judgment cleared the way for arrest of Jay & Jagi Panda in Dalit ‘land grab’ case. (article below). When matter is before the Hon’ble High Court, justice will be done without interference,” sharing several news clippings of leading national media houses on HC orders.
“Dear @rammadhavbjpJi, Jay Panda’s Sister’s company (Superclass Contractor) earn crores of rupees from Odisha Govt infrastructure projects, his family businesses earn thousands of crores with Odisha Govt support. Where is Odisha Govt vendetta? Please ask your friends,” MP Dr tweeted Patra @sasmitpatra.
“Dear @rammadhavbjpJi, you have been working tirelessly for downtrodden. Jay Panda used his Dalit driver as conduit to fraudulently transfer & dispossess 22 Dalits off their lands. Im sure you would want this crime investigated. Even Hon’ble Odisha High Court wants (order below),” Dr Patra said in another tweet while sharing the HC order.
“Orissa Govt is doing to OTV what Maharashtra did to Republic. Promoter of d channel n wife of BJP leader @PandaJay@JagiPanda n her staff at OTV r facing harassment from police clearly bcoz of political vendetta. CM Naveen as a progressive leader shud not allow this in his state,” Ram Madhav had earlier tweeted @rammadhavbjp sharing a press statement issued by OTV MD Jagi Panda.
“Ram Madhav ji, may I request you to kindly indulge me by coming over here to see the plight of these 22 Scheduled Caste people who have been dispossessed of their land?,” BJD MP Dr. Amar Patnaik tweeted @Amar4Odisha.
“Why is the self-declared most transparent news channel of Odisha @otvnews silent on @PandaJay & @JagiPanda’s heinous crimes !?!? Do they really don’t know where Mr.BP & his family are hiding in the fear of being arrested ?????,” MP Anubhav Mohanty tweeted@AnubhavMohanty_.
“Hon.HC of Odisha paves the way 4 arrest of @PandaJay and his wife @JagiPanda in a land grab case of poor people of the Schedule Caste community.While the charges r heinous & shameful adding to this shame he has absconded with his family and is hiding, saving himself from arrest. But I have full faith in our judiciary that justice will prevail and poor, innocent people will get their land back. I would also request Mr.@PandaJay to come out of hiding and cooperate with police investigation if he has nothing to hide,” MP Mohanty added.
It may be noted here that Both Jay and Jagi Panda had got interim relief in the Sarua land scam case as the High Court directed not to arrest the couple till November 12.Odisha Infra Tech Private Limited (OIPL)petition for quashing the FIR, for allegedly buying lands belonging to SC persons in a fraudulent manner, was also dismissed by HC. Probe in preliminary stage, said High Court
With Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s 2 most trusted lieutenants, read 5T Secretary VK Pandian and BJD’s Minister maker Jajpur MLA, Pranab Prakash Das alias Bobby, pursuing the matter, Jay and Jagi Panda may face more tough time, sources said.
Crime Branch of State Police headed by able ADGP S Priyadarshi may bring some surprise after the HC vacated stay against the BJP leader and his media baron wife. Apprehending arrest, the Jay Panda and his wife Jagi Panda, had moved the Odisha High Court seeking anticipatory bail.
Odisha Police had already requested the Income Tax department to investigate the benami transaction angle in the land scam allegedly committed by Odisha Infra Tech Private Limited during purchase of land from scheduled caste people at Sarua village in Khurda district.The Economic Offence Wing will continue to probe into other aspects of the case while IT has been recommended to probe into the benami transaction as per the provision of Benami Transaction (Prohibition) Act.
Naming Baijaynt Panda and his wife Jagi Mangat Panda as promoters of the Odisha Infra Tech Private Limited, the EOW had said: “Odisha Infra Tech Private Limited used a driver (belonging to schedule caste) of one of the directors, to act as a conduit to purchase these lands.”
The investigating agency had said more than 7 acres of land was purchased by the company in the name of one Rabi Sethi and later sold. However, he (Sethi) was never in possession of the land. Scheduled Caste (SC) people have been cheated in the incident while Rabi Sethi was used as a conduit.
The account of Sethi has been verified by EOW and no money was given in this regard to him. Later, it also came to light that the lands bought in 2010 to 2013 in the name of Sethi and later sold in 2016 and 2019 to OIPL was never in the possession of Sethi.
It said the lands were purchased from villagers of Sarua in Begunia block of Khurda district between June, 2010 and June, 2013 at much lower price from villagers in the name of Rabi Sethi, who was working as a driver of one of the directors of the firm.Possession of the land was never with Sethi, rather it was taken over by the firm.The Government of Odisha had ordered a Crime Branch probe in the land scam matter. Manoranjan Sarangi, a director of the Odisha Infratech Pvt Ltd and also a senior executive of Panda owned OTV, and one Siba Prasad Srichandan, dealings with the company, have been arrested by the EOW.
