Odisha BJD MP, two former MLAs arrested in chit fund scam

Four days after arresting heavyweight BJD MLA Prabhat Tripathy, the CBI today arrested three more politicians.

CBI arrested BJD MP Ramachandra Hansda and former MLAs Subarna Nayak (BJD) and Hitesh Bagarti (BJP) on charges of their links with the financial fraud committed by the Odisha-based chit fund firm Nabadiganta Capital Services.

All three were summoned by the CBI today, for the third time in 12 days, for interrogation. The last time they were questioned was on October 26, when they had been grilled for nearly for hours.

Ramachandra Hansda is the secretary of the BJD parliamentary party in the Lok Sabha. Hitesh Bagarti and Subarna Nayak were denied tickets by the BJP and the BJD respectively in the last general elections.

As anticipated, the BJD today suspended its sitting MP from Mayurbhanj and former MLA Subarna Naik from the party following their arrest by the CBI for their alleged complicity in the mega chit fund scam in Odisha.

BJP in Odisha said it was ashamed of its ex-MLA Hitesh Kumar Bagarti, arrested by CBI in the multi-crore chitfund scam, while ruling BJD said it would not provide protection to tainted leaders booked in ponzi case.

Expressing grave concern over the modus operandi of the ruling BJD government in Odisha and alleging that it is trying its best to scuttle the CBI investigation into the mega chit fund scam, the Utkal Bharat has sought early intervention of the Supreme Court in the matter.