By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/GOPALPUR/BERHAMPUR: If grapevines are to be believed, the expelled BJD MLA from Gopalpur in Odisha’s Ganjam Dr Pradeep Panigrahy and arrested State cadre IFS officer and ACCF, Abhay K Pathak, had planned to spent around Rs 32 Crore for marriage of their daughter and son at a 5-Star Hotel at Jodhpur in Rajasthan on December 11. Even around 20-40 Lakhs were paid in advance to the Hotel for the marriage of arrested IFS officer’s son Akash K Pathak with MLA Panigrahi’s daughter, Shruti Panigrahi, sources said on Sunday.
MLA’s wife Sujata Panigrahy, even though, seeking a reply from Chief Minister Naveen Patnak over expulsion of his husband from Party for anti-people activities, who is a 3 times Lawmaker and a former Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology and Rural Development (RWS), should also answer questions raised by the State Vigilance.
At a press conference here, MLA refuted the allegations but could not produce documentary evidences about his claims. In Odisha, everybody knows, how 5T Secretary VK Pandian, Minister maker Jajpur MLA and all powerful General Secretary(Organisation) Pranab Prakash Das alias Bobby and Special Secretary to CM and 1997 batch IPS , DS Kutey, besides few more, calling the shots at both Naveen Niwas as well as at CMO in Loka Seva Bhawan, MLA’s claim not new.
Sources said, Panigrahy only came in contact with Naveen Patnaik after former Bari MLA Debasis Nayak and Ganjam’s Rabi Patra was sidelined. For 2 former Ganjam Collectors like Santosh Satpathy and today’s 5T Secretary, Pandian, were instrumental in making of Dr Panigrahy in initial days till he became CM’s representative for Hinjli and became MLA and Minister.
English speaking quality of Dr Panigrahy helped him to come close to Naveen Patnaik than any other leaders of undivided Ganjam, which houses 15 MLA and 2 MP seats. Even though, the MLA stays at Berhampur but mentioned his permanent address at Patrapur Tata Colony at Luhajhar. That means, MLA Dr Panigrahy was part of Tata Group’s rehabilitation schemes for its SEZ at Gopalpur. Will MLA’s activist wife Sujata Panigrahy explain this ?. Surprisingly, MLA Panigrahy never raised the problem faced by locals due to Tata Group and its SEZ.
“I am not involved in any kind of anti-people activities. The party should clarify as to what kind of activities it is referring to and also present proof in this regard,” said MLA Panigrahy.The MLA said he has dedicatedly carried out all responsibilities entrusted upon him by the party in the past. “I was given the charge of 15 assembly seats, out of which the BJD won in 12 constituencies,” he said adding 2 Lok Sabha seats of Ganjam.
“Akash was studied at Berhampur and did Engineering at ITER in Bhubaneswar, and after selection, he was working in Romania but returned to Odisha to look after his ailing mother. He had scored highest mark in GMAT in the year 2016 and was selected for the Tata Group and work under the Jamshedpur and Bhubaneswar’s Fortune Tower Corporate Offices,” the MLA said.
However, Tata Motors Limited (TML) had lodged a complaint with the Crime Branch of Odisha Police against Akash Kumar Pathak , son of arrested Odisha cadre IFS Officer and ACCF, Abhay K Pathak, accusing him of committing cheating, forgery and impersonating as the Managing Director of the company. The company had written to IGP(CID-CB) AN Sinha regarding the fraud.
The company in its FIR had mentioned that Akash Kumar has taken huge amount of money fraudulently from unemployed youths to secure them a job in Tata Motors Limited. Akash Kumar illegally impersonated and projected himself as MD Tata Motor Pune Passenger Division and CEO designate, it said.
The father-son duo has been arrested by the Odisha Vigilance for amassing assets worth crores disproportionate to their known sources of income. The officials have also detected cash deposits of about Rs 9.4 crores made in the bank accounts of his son. Costly vehicles like Mercedes, BMW and Tata Harrier and three costly Yamaha FZS motorcycles have been found registered in the name of his son, who has also been hiring costly vehicles on rent. At the time of search at Pune, three vehicles including two Mercedes were found to have been taken on hire by him. So far, vehicle hiring charges to the tune of Rs 25 lakh approximately has been ascertained.
Similarly, more than Rs 1 crore has been paid towards house rent of the luxury flats and the farmhouse. Hotel bills of more than 90 lakhs at Hotel Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai and advance booking amount of Rs 20 lakh at Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur in Rajasthan have also been paid.
The foreign travel details of tours to Malaysia, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Maldives etc. have been obtained by Vigilance. Charter flight bills worth nearly Rs 3 crores involving travel from and to cities like Pune, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Juhu, Mumbai, Jamshedpur, Delhi etc. have also been ascertained.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) to issue notices to persons related to facts and circumstances of the disproportionate asset case against IFS officer Pathak for examination and to record their statement. During its first meeting of the SIT’s core team today, a decision was taken to serve notices under Section 160 CrPC to people related to the disproportionate assets case for appearance at the Vigilance cell.Banks officials, Forest officials and relatives, employees and associates of the IFS officer will also be examined.
A statement issued by the Vigilance said the firms from which costly vehicles have been purchased will also be examined. The sources of assets and investment channels are being probed, it read.The SIT is examining the voluminous records and documents that were seized during searches to gain further leads in the disproportionate asset case. The State Forensic Science Laboratory is also assisting the Vigilance in the case.
