Accusing the State Government of trying to cover up multi-crore chit fund scam, the BJP on Wednesday demanded that investigation should be handed over to a special investigation team (SIT).
The State police investigating into the scam have not been able to identify the influential people including ministers and ruling BJD members who have taken gratification from the major players running illegal chit fund business, BJP spokesperson Suresh Pujari told mediapersons here.
Since the scam has its ramification beyond the State border and the scamsters are either running business or have accumulated property in other States, the State police are handicapped to get into the bottom of the case, he said.
Investigation of such cases needs expertise and modern technology. However, the way the police are investigating, there is every possibility that the political players in the scam will escape, Pujari said. He demand that the people who have been arrested in the scam should be put to lie detector test and narco analysis.
Pujari said the police have so far quantified the fraud to the tune of Rs 1500 crore and evaluated their assets at about Rs 120 crore. But the police are still clueless about the rest of the money.
Claiming that the Government’s involvement in the scam is becoming clear, former deputy speaker Ramachnadra Panda circulated an application of Artha Tatwa to media in which the company’s request for grant of permission to raise Rs 17 crore through deposit was approved in a day.
The chief executive of Artha Tatwa Multipurpose Cooperative Society sought permission of Assistant Registrar of cooperative society, Bhubaneswar circle for raising the money for a mega housing project in the city. The Assistant Registrar approved the application the same day which is beyond his capacity, Panda said.
