CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Wednesday rejected the pre-arrest bail petition of Soumya Sankar Chakra, the state vice-president of Biju Yuva Janata Dal in connection with the multi-crore scam connected to Gandhamardhan Loading Agency & Transporting Co-operative Society Ltd.
Chakra, a prominent BJD leader from mineral-rich Keonjhar and has a transport and logistics business, had not been named as accused in the case registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the state Crime Branch.
But Chakra filed an anticipatory bail petition after the EOW interrogated him in connection with the case and also conducted raids on business units linked to him in different parts of the state.
Refusing to grant Chakra anticipatory bail, Justice V Narasingh said: “This court finds force in the submission made by the counsel for the state that the custodial interrogation is imperative in the case at hand to unravel the truth and interrogation would become a ‘mere ritual” in the event they are protected by pre-arrest bail’.”
“On a perspicuous analysis of materials on record and on perusal of the case diary, this court is not persuaded to hold that the petitioner has been able to make out an exceptional case for grant of pre-arrest bail,” Justice Narasingh observed.
Despite having no official position in the cooperative society established in 2006, Chakra exercised such clout that at his behest funds of the society were siphoned off, it was alleged before the court.