By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: The BJD Organisation General Secretary and MLA Pranab Prakash Das alias Baby, Party’s Rajya Sabha MPs, Dr Sasmit Patra and Amar Patnaik on Monday sought a reply from BJP National VP Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda and his model turned entrepreneur wife, who heads OTV, about their alleged nexus with Bahamas Shell Companies.“A journalist friend shared a press release from this morning’s Press Meet on @PandaJay and linkage to Bahamas shell companies, possibility of bad money being funded into @PandaJay companies. I believe @PandaJay should come in front and explain this if he has truth on his side,” tweeted Dr. Sasmit Patra @sasmitpatra.
“The obstruction of justice is crystal clear. Misdoings too. #JayPandaExposed also exposes what lies beneath @PandaJay’s OTV and Ortel. He needs to answer for this and come clean to people of Odisha,” Pranab Prakash Das tweeted@pranabpdas. “A stunning exppse today finds that on 25 Jan 2019, @PandaJay’s OTV had purchased a Guest House from Surangi Services Limited (SSL) for Rs 10 crores. SSL is owned by two shell companies located in Bahamas. The same shell companies that had invested in Ortel. #JayPandaExposed. Despite orders of Hon’ble Delhi High Court on 7 Feb 2020 for swift investigation by MAG (Multi Agency Group involving CBI, ED and IT), no progress has been registered. Since then, @PandaJay has become National VP of BJP and apparently, protected by the Party? #JayPandaExposed,” MLA Das added.
“ଆର୍ଥିକ ହେରଫେର କରିବାର ଏକ ବହୁଳଭାବେ ବ୍ୟବହୃତ ପଦ୍ଧତି ଦେଖାଦେଇଛି #JayPandaBahmasExpose ରେ| ଟିଭି ଚାନେଲ ମାଲିକ ହିସାବରେ ଆପାତତଃ ଵ୍ୟାକମେଲ କରି ତଥା ନିଜର ଅନେକ ବ୍ୟବସାୟ ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ବେନିୟମ କାରବାରକରି କଳାଧନ ଠୁଳ କରିବାସହ ବାହାମାରେ ସ୍ଥାପିତ ୨ ଭୁତ କମ୍ପାନୀ ଜରିଆରେ ସେହିଧନ ଭାରତକୁ ନିବେଶପାଇଁ ଆଣିବା ଘଟଣା ବେଶ ଚର୍ଚ୍ଚିତ,” BJD MP Dr. Amar Patnaik tweeted @Amar4Odisha. “ ସିବିଆଇ(CBI) ଓ ଆର୍ଥିତ ଦୁର୍ନୀତି ନିର୍ବାରଣ ସଂସ୍ଥା(ED)ଙ୍କ ପାଖରେ ଏହି କେସଟିକୁ ତଦନ୍ତ କରି ଶ୍ରୀ ପଣ୍ଡା ଓ ତାଙ୍କ ସହ ଏହି ଦୁର୍ନୀତିରେ ସଂଶ୍ଲିଷ୍ଟ ସମସ୍ତ ସହଯୋଗୀଙ୍କ ବିରୋଧରେ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟାନୁଷ୍ଠାନ କରିବାରେ ଏହାଠାରୁ ଆଉ ସହଜ କେସ ନାହିଁ | ତେବେ କଣ ସେ ଏକ ରାଜନୈତିକ ଦଳର ଉପସଭାପତି ଥିବାରୁ ତାଙ୍କ ଦୁର୍ନୀତିକୁ ଘଣ୍ଟ ଘୋଡା ଯାଉଛି ?,” the BJD MP asked.
The attack on Jay and Jagi Panda from 3 senior BJD leaders came following reports their involvement in money laundering.A Delhi-based NGO ‘PATH’ said in a press statement issued in the name of Advocate Atul Guleria, that the couple have been evading income tax through three shell companies located in Bahamas island.
The BJD leaders said despite the Delhi High Court order for a multi agency probe into money laundering allegations against Baijayant and wife Jagi, no headway in the matter has been registered. They asked whether BJP has been protecting Baijayant who is National Vice President of the saffron party.
Earlier in the day, speaking to mediapersons at the Press Club of India in New Delhi, Advocate Atul Guleria, a member of the NGO alleged Baijayant and Jagi have been evading income tax through two shell companies located in Bahamas island. The couple was also involved in CSR fund irregularities, the NGO further alleged.These two Bahamas-based shell companies invested in the companies owned by Baijayant and Jagi in India through the Manjula Devi Trust.
The NGO further alleged the shell companies were being controlled by Panda Investment Private Limited and Metro Sky Light Private Limited that were owned by the couple. ‘PATH’ had filed a PIL in the Delhi High Court in February in connection with this. Though the court directed the Centre to probe the matter after taking note of it as a case of ‘money laundering’ in February, there is hardly any headway in the investigation. The NGO demanded the Prime Minister’s Office to direct the officials to expedite the probe.The court ordered for a early completion of a probe into allegations as mentioned in the writ petition.
The office of the BJP National Vice-President Panda and the authorities of the Odisha Television Ltd (OTV) categorically rubbished the allegations brought out by some activists in Delhi. Litisha Mangat, Operating Officer, Odisha Television Network said, “This is how far they are willing to go to target, harass and tarnish the hard earned reputation of OTV and the Panda Family”
