ED issues summons to senior BJD MLA, his son in land scam case

ED investigation revealed that Prayaskanti Samal, college secretary Manoj Kumar Goswami and a few others have been involved in misappropriation of the crores of rupees by forgery and cheating

Published on: Feb 17, 2024, 19:10:50 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneshwar: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday issued summons to former Odisha minister and senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Prafulla Samal and his son Prayaskanti Samal in connection with its money laundering probe into the alleged land irregularities amounting to multi-crore money laundering.

The father-son duo were summoned in the alleged land scam of Bhadrak Institute of Engineering and Technology, run by them. Prafulla said the summons were vindictive. “The raids are a conspiracy against me. But I would not be cowed down. The ED officials are harassing me,” he said.

The summons came following the agency’s recent raid at the college premises following cases registered against Prafulla by the Odisha Police under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Explosive Substances Act, 1908.

ED investigation revealed that Prayaskanti Samal, college secretary Manoj Kumar Goswami and a few others have been involved in misappropriation of the crores of rupees by forgery and cheating.

Also Read: ED conducts raids on college run by BJD MLA over alleged money laundering charge

During the search operations, the ED seized Rs.9 lakh in cash along with a Toyota Fortuner Car worth Rs.40 lakh. Various incriminating documents, including undated cheques, land agreements and digital devices were also seized, according to the agency officials.

The father-son duo allegedly swindled crores of rupees collected from students as fees to buy lands and flats in Bhubaneswar and other places, the ED has claimed.

According to the ED, the college managing committee allegedly occupied nearly 5.12 acres of land that was kept for the cremation ground of Barapada gram panchayat in Bhandaripokhari block in early 2000.

Academic building, a girls’ hostel, and a market complex have been built over the illegally acquired land brushing aside stiff opposition from the people of Barapada panchayat, said the ED.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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