Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the state Crime Branch arrested Sushant Samal, a close associate of Raja Chakra, on Thursday in connection with large-scale irregularities in the functioning of the Gandhamardan Loading Agency and the misappropriation of funds from a cooperative meant for the welfare of villagers affected by mining activities.
Samal is accused of assisting Chakra in concealing substantial sums of money at multiple locations. He is also allegedly involved in money laundering activities.
According to reports, the EOW has placed Chakra under a 3-day remand for questioning.
He was arrested on March 13. Based on a complaint filed by a villager residing near the Gandhamardan mines in Keonjhar district, the EOW registered a case under sections 406, 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, and 120-B of the IPC on February 7 and began investigating the matter.
According to an official press release, following a detailed investigation, it was discovered that the loading agency had earned approximately Rs 185 crore from 2017-18 to March 2024.
The investigation further revealed that the President and Secretary, Manas Barik and Utkal Das, with the help of other influential locals, had defrauded large sums.
Under the guise of Peripheral Development, Rs 34 crore was taken, but no peripheral development was carried out. Additionally, Rs 9.1 crore was paid to Maa Kali Petrol Pump, which did not supply any fuel to the Gandhamardan Loading Agency (GML). Instead, the pump supplied fuel to vehicles owned by Soumya Shankar Chakra, with GML covering the costs.
Further findings showed that Rs 33 crore were distributed to local villagers, purportedly members of the cooperative society, to garner their support for Chakra.
It was also discovered that approximately Rs 74 crore were shown as loading charges and labor payments. However, the corresponding muster rolls and vouchers indicated significant discrepancies. An audit for the period in question has been decided upon, after which the full scale of the defalcation will be revealed.
It is noteworthy that the society has not conducted an audit since 2012-13.
Although not officially affiliated with the cooperative society, Raja Chakra exercised control over its operations through his associates—Sadashiv Samal, Sudhansu Shekhar Naik, and Samir Jena.
Chakra, who runs multiple businesses including Sankar Mineral, Shankar Transporting, Shankar Roadways, and Sankar Projects, was apprehended based on a tip-off for further questioning to clarify his role in the alleged scam.
It is also worth mentioning that, so far, 42 vehicles belonging to Raja Chakra have been seized, along with two screening plants. Additionally, based on financial investigations, several bank accounts have been frozen, with an amount of approximately Rs 25 lakh frozen in the banks.
Further investigations are underway to determine the possible involvement of others in the scam.
