BERHAMPUR: Two new criminal cases were registered against former Congress MLA Ramesh Jena on Tuesday. With this, the total number of such cases against Jena has gone up to 25. He was arrested from Bhubaneswar last month on extortion charges.
On Tuesday, Sadar police brought him on one-day remand for questioning him in connection with forcefully acquiring Radhaswami Mutt land at Nimakhandi. In the last 50 days, Jena has been brought on remand for 22 days by the police.
Informing mediapersons about the two new cases registered against him, SP Asish Singh said while one case is related to land grabbing, the other is over forcible possession of a temple.
He said Bipin Behari Sahu, trustee of Radhaswami Mutt, had submitted a complaint with Sadar police stating that Jena, along with his father Arakhita and two others, Murali and Buna Sahu, forcibly took five acres of Mutt land at Nimakhandi and converted it into housing plots. After verifying the documents, Sadar police registered the case on Tuesday against the four.
Similarly, Subash Behera, trustee of Kuthari temple at Gate Bazaar area in the city, alleged that Jena, Arakhita, Murali and Prasant Patnaik had forcibly taken possession of the temple and the ‘hundi’ for the last five years. Whenever Subash protested, he was threatened with dire consequences, read the FIR that was lodged at Town police station. The SP said investigation into both the cases has been initiated.
So far, 29 associates of Jena have already been arrested, which includes four realtors, one corporator of BeMC and a lawyer. The SP said some realtors and criminals are absconding, but would be nabbed soon.