By Anurjay Dhal
RAJKANIKA/KENDRAPARA (ODISHA): With few hours left for the Balasore and Tirtol bypolls, the ruling BJD on Monday continued its attack on BJP National VP Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda and his model turned entrepreneur wife, Jagi Panda, who runs OTV Network for their studied silence over land scam in Khurda and various illegal work done by their family owned IMFA Group. Dr Patra alleged that the former Kendrapara MP, Panda is holding share in as many as 21 companies. Joining Party’s Upper House member Dr Patra, BJD’s Kendrapara Lok Sabha MP sought a reply from Jay Panda “Answer @PandaJay#Odisha Wants To Know,” Anubhav Mohanty tweeted @AnubhavMohanty_.
“Why are owners of Odisha Infratech silent on arrest of its Director in land fraud case? Why did #OTV defend that arrest with a Press Release and cry foul? Its elementary. Media would question owner Jay Panda on land scam, so deflect it to OTV, a media arm. No questions asked!!,” BJD Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Sasmit Patra tweeted @sasmitpatra.
“Heard #BaijayantPanda has shareholding in 21 companies including #OTV. Convenient that there is #OTV to defend any illegality that takes place in those 21 companies. Like yesterday when Jay Panda owned Odisha Infratech Director got arrested for land scam and #OTV defended him,”Dr Patra alleged.
“Strategy to use #OTV as “Spokesperson” defending arrest of Jay Panda-owned Odisha Infratech’s Director, is a clever ploy to pressurize Odisha Law enforcement agencies saying, “You dare touch any Jay Panda company, OTV will pull it to itself & cry foul saying “Media Under Attack”,” Dr Patra is in another tweet.
“Mines owners & businessmen should learn from Jay Panda how to use media for protecting their business. If your company like Odisha Infratech commits land fraud & its Director is arrested, get your media #OTV to release press statement & defend. Who said “media shields” dont work?,” he said.
“Odisha mines owner, businessman, real estate developer, media owner Baijayant Panda’s Odia TV #OTV acting as a “media shield” for defending illegalities in his other businesses. If Odisha Infratech commits fraud, #OTV defends. One should learn how media can be used from Jay Panda.A Director of Odisha Infratech Pvt Ltd was arrested yesterday for land fraud but #OTV defended him through Press Release. Have all #BaijayantPanda companies amalgamated with #OTV or using OTV as “Media Shield” is convenient to hide illegalities in other Jay Panda companies?,” the BJD MP said.
On the allegations of some scheduled caste persons of Sarua village, TehsilBegunia, district Khurda and one ex-employee of Ortel communication belonging to scheduled caste regarding fraudulent land transactions, Government ordered an enquiry by Crime Branch. Officers of Economic Offence Wing of Crime Branch enquired into the matter. During enquiry, primafacie it was revealed that one company namely Odisha InfraTech Pvt Ltd purchased land belonging to scheduled caste persons circumventing rules laws using forgery, cheating, intimidation and other dubious methods with an intension to cause losses to SC people. Basing on the enquiry report a criminal case vide EOW case no 08/2020 u/s 420/423/467/468/471/120-B IPC read with sections 3 (1) (g) (q) of SC & ST (POA) act was registered. Sri Manoranjan Sarangi, one of the directors of Odiasha InfraTech Pvt Ltd was arrested today and forwarded to court. Further investigation is on,” the CID-CB said.
With CID-CB is being headed by flamboyant S Priyadarshi and his deputy JN Pankaj, and CMO and well as Naveen Niwas, giving a free hand, Jay Panda and his model turned entrepreneur wife Jagi Panda run TV Channel and its subsidiaries may likely to face more tough time in coming days and more arrest likely to follow soon, sources said.
