CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Tuesday granted bail to former secretary of Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) Ashirbad Behera in the Artha Tatwa group chit fund scam case. The Single Judge Bench of Justice D Dash granted bail to Behera against two sureties of `1.5 lakh each. Justice Dash also asked Behera to surrender his passport and not try to influence witnesses in the case.
Senior advocate Manas Ranjan Mohapatra argued his case. Presently, he was under treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital. Behera was arrested by CBI on September 19, implicating him in a supplementary charge sheet in the case submitted on August 29. CBI’s case against Behera revolves round the `1 crore that was passed on by Artha Tatwa to OCA, of which he was secretary then.
The CBI was concerned with how the money was spent. Behera however maintained that OCA had spent `75 lakh for appointment of former Australian cricketer Michael Bevan as coach of Odisha Ranji team and there were other expenses on the senior cricket team. The OCA had also spent `25 lakh in Odisha Premier League. The money was spent transparently and there was no misappropriation, Behera had claimed.He had filed the bail application in High Court on October 14 after the Special CBI court in Bhubaneswar denied him bail when he had moved it for the second time citing health grounds.