BHUBANESWAR: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested former honorary secretary of Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) Ashirbad Behera for his alleged links with Ponzi firm Artha Tatwa Group of Companies.
A CBI official said Behera was arrested from his house after a non-bailable warrant was issued against him. The central agency's sleuths also nabbed owner of Solan Inn hotel Kamalakanta Das in connection with the case.
"A supplementary chargesheet was filed against Behera, Das and one of the directors of AT Group Sambit Kumar Khuntia on August 29. Behera and Das have been arrested in connection with the case and they will be produced before a court in Bhubaneswar after medical examination," a CBI official said.
Behera's family, however, said his arrest is politically motivated. "The arrest comes a day ahead of nomination for OCA elections. The opponents have realised that they are going to lose the election for which they have played such dirty tricks," the former secretary's son Sanjay Behera said.
The central agency had registered a case against AT Group of Companies and others as per the Supreme Court direction in 2014. The case was registered under relevant sections of IPC and Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act, 1978.
It was alleged that OCA had promoted the company, which is accused of duping thousands of depositors so that the credibility of the organisation increases and more people will be interested to invest in different schemes floated by the tainted firm.
Behera had allegedly received Rs one crore from AT Group in the garb of sponsorship of Odisha Ranjit Cricket Team and title sponsorship of Odisha Premier League, 2011.
It was also alleged that the owner of hotel Solan Inn was actively involved in the misappropriation of the immovable property of the company in Balasore and Bhubaneswar.
Earlier, six chargesheets including four supplementary chargesheets, were filed by the CBI against 33 accused persons including eight of the company, which was one of the prominent chit fund firms operating in the State. The AT Group has allegedly duped thousands of depositors by fraudulently collecting over Rs 1000 crore from investors between 2010 and 2012.