BHUBANESWAR: Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasburma has found himself under scanner after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) served notice on him seeking information about his vehicles, Mitsubishi Pajero to be specific.
A representative of the Minister appeared before probe agency and submitted related documents here on Wednesday.
On April 4, CBI Inspector GK Pradhan issued the notice to Dasburma under Section 91 of the CrPc for production of documents relating to the Artha Tatwa Group chit fund scam. The Central agency is probing the multi-hundred crore ponzi scam.
The CBI wanted details of all Pajero vehicles owned by the Minister, including the ones disposed of and sold, either by him or any of his family members. It also sought details of any other vehicles Dasburma and his family members own besides the details of purchase and source of finance.
Gouranga Sahu, an office executive of the BJD leader, submitted the relevant documents to the CBI. In his submission, the Minister stated that since he was away in Koraput on work, he had entrusted the task to his family for providing the details. Contacted, Dasburma said: “I have furnished details of the Pajero, the vehicle in question, so that CBI can investigate into the matter.” The Minister is reported to have submitted that he possessed two Pajeros but did not have both at one time. He bought the second one after selling off the first. He also furnished the details of loans that he had taken to buy the SUVs.
The matter cropped up recently after Congress leader Lalatendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra pointed out that AT Group chief Pradeep Sethy, in his confession statement, had mentioned that a Pajero was gifted to a BJD leader, a charge Dasburma had refuted.
Later, Sethy had gone on record saying that several vehicles were given for use during election campaigning. However, he did not spell out details on the grounds that AT Group had several directors and it was not possible to keep tab who had given which vehicle and to whom.