Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Odisha Crime Branch has arrested Raja Chakra, who is alleged to be involved in one of the largest-scale irregularities in the functioning of the Gandhamardan Loading Agency and the misappropriation of funds from a cooperative intended for the welfare of villagers affected by mining activities.
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 an investigation into the matter.
“Till now, two persons have been arrested, and today Raja Chakra was arrested,” stated Crime Branch Director General of Police (DG), Vinaytosh Mishra in a press conference on Thursday.
According to an official press release, based on a detailed investigation, it was found that the loading agency had earned around Rs 185 Crores from 2017-18 to March 2024.
The investigation further revealed that the President and Secretary, Manas Barik and Utkal Das, with the help of some other local influential persons, had defrauded large sums.
Under the name of Peripheral Development, Rs 34 Crores were taken, but no peripheral development was carried out.
Additionally, Rs 9.1 Crores were 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 Crores were distributed to local villagers, purportedly members of the cooperative society, to garner their support for Chakra.
It was also found that approximately Rs 74 Crores were shown as loading charges and labor payments.
However, the corresponding muster rolls and vouchers indicated significant mismatches. It has been decided to conduct an audit for the period in question, after which the full scale of the defalcation will be revealed.
It is worth noting that the society has not conducted an audit since 2012-13.
Despite not being officially affiliated with the cooperative society, Raja Chakra exerted 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 on a tip-off for further questioning to clarify his role in the alleged scam.
It is also worth mentioning that so far, Rs 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, and an amount of about Rs 25 Lakhs has been frozen in the banks.
