By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/CUTTACK: Apprehending arrest, the BJP’s National Vice President Baijayant Panda and his model turned entrepreneur wife Jagi Panda, who heads OTV, had moved the Odisha High Court seeking anticipatory bail.
Both got interim relief in the Sarua land scam case as the High Court directed not to arrest the couple till November 12. “It is directed that Jagi Mangat Panda and Baijayant Panda shall not be arrested in connection with EOW Bhubaneswar P.S. Case No. 08 of 2020 corresponding to T.R. Case No. 414 of 2020 pending before the learned Sessions Judge, Bhubaneswar till 12.11.2020,” the High Court said.
Meanwhile, the Rashtriya Dalit Mahasabha had lodged a complaint at the Capital police station here against Jay and Jagi in connection with the Sarua land scam case. Both are major shareholders and promoters of Odisha Infratech Pvt. Ltd. that had allegedly purchased more than 7 acres of land belonging to Scheduled Caste people at Sarua in Khordha district by fraudulent means.
The Rashtriya Dalit Mahasabha demanded registration of case against the couple under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and arrest of the duo. Manoranjan Sarangi, a director of the Odisha Infratech Pvt. Ltd., resigned from the post citing health issues and personal reasons. Sarangi also stepped down from the post of CFO, OTV. He has already been arrested by the Odisha Crime Branch.
In the resignation letter to the Managing Director of OTV, Sarangi said he has high diabetes and hypertension and his sudden arrest by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of CB has resulted in further deterioration of his health condition. He also explained that his family is in distress following his arrest while his octogenarian mother has been hospitalized.“Under such circumstances, I am not in a mental position to continue my service in the company,” the official said in the letter.On November 1, the EOW had arrested Sarangi for his alleged involvement in purchasing of land belonging to some scheduled caste persons of Sarua village in Khordha district in fraudulent manner.
Between June, 2010 and June, 2013, the company had purchased lands at Sarua in Khordha district belonging to Scheduled Caste people at prices much lower than the benchmark valuation 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 State Crime Branch had said.Manoranjan Sarangi and Siba Prasad Srichandan, who undertook all the dealings of the land for the company, have been arrested by the agency.
