Odisha gang try to sell of ITDC hotel in Puri for ₹15 crore

A former contractual engineer of OTDC, posing as an authorised official of ITDC, executed an agreement with a Puri-based egg wholesaler February last year to sell off the property for ₹15 crore

Published on: Oct 24, 2021, 09:52:57 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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A former contractual engineer working with state-owned Odisha Tourism Development Corporation tried to sell off an ITDC (India Tourism Development Corporation) owned hotel in Puri for ₹15 crore, posing as its authorised owner.

Main accused Chandan Akash Mohanty, was arrested last month in a separate case while posing as a self-styled godman. (Shutterstock image)

The hotel set up by Utkal Ashok Hotel Corporation, a subsidiary of ITDC, on Puri sea beach in 1988, has been shut since March 2005 over allegations of financial mismanagement and the government’s bid to disinvest from the hotel has been stayed as the matter remains pending with the Supreme Court.

Taking advantage of the situation, a former contractual engineer of OTDC, posing as an authorised official of ITDC, executed an agreement with a Puri-based egg wholesaler February last year to sell off the property for ₹15 crore.

Deputy inspector general of police (DIG) of Economic Offences Wing, JN Pankaj said a person named Anikesh Sahu, in connivance with Chandan Akash Mohanty, the former contractual assistant engineer in OTDC, Bhubaneswar and another person duped Puri-based egg wholesaler Tapan Kumar Mohanty of ₹50 lakh.

“In January 2020, Chandan Akash Mohanty impersonating as senior officer of ITDC Ltd and Anikesh Sahu posing as contractor working with different projects of ITDC met Tapan Kumar Mohanty through one of his friend and persuaded him to purchase Nilachal Ashok Hotel at Puri for ₹15 crores which included payment of ₹3 crore as bribe. In February 2020, the accused executed an agreement and made the victim deposit ₹20 lakhs in the official account of ITDC, maintained at Delhi, but also took ₹30 lakhs in cash as facilitation fee. However, when the victim did not get any communication from ITDC Ltd., he realised that he had been duped. He subsequently suffered a stroke and was paralysed, losing his speech and memory,” said the DIG.

Also Read: Odisha former tourism minister urges direct flights from Bhubaneswar to Dehradun

After the victim’s wife lodged a complaint with the Economic Offences Wing of Odisha police, Sahu was arrested from Cuttack and charged under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including 419, 420, 467, 468 and 471.

Main accused Chandan Akash Mohanty, was arrested last month in a separate case while posing as a self-styled godman. The third accused Bikash Maharana is yet to be arrested, police said. They believe there might be other victims of the gang.

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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