Odisha TV channel CFO arrested in land deal case; channel owners, Opposition cry foul

The CFO was picked up from his home in Bhubaneswar by officials on Sunday morning and arrested after long interrogation in an alleged fraudulent land deal.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha Police on Sunday arrested the chief financial officer (CFO) of a leading Odia TV channel over an allegation of land fraud triggering accusations of the government’s witchhunt against the channel.

Image for representation.

Manoranjan Sarangi, the CFO of OTV was picked up from his home in Bhubaneswar by EOW officials on Sunday morning and arrested after long interrogation in an alleged fraudulent land deal in Sarua, Khurda district. He was later forwarded to the court after a medical test at the Capital Hospital was conducted in the evening.

A press release issued by the EOW said Odisha InfraTech Pvt Ltd, in which Sarangi was one of the directors, had purchased land belonging to scheduled caste persons circumventing rules/laws using forgery/cheating/intimidation and other dubious methods to cause losses to them. Sarangi has been charged under sections 420/423/467/468/471/120-B of Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with sections 3 (1) (g) (q) of SC & ST (Prevention Of Atrocities) Act.

OTV channel is owned and operated by Jagi Mangat Panda, wife of BJP’s national vice-president and former MP Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda, friend-turned-bete noire of Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

OTV’s operating officer Litisha Mangat said the CFO’s arrest was a sign of vendetta against the channel as everyone in Odisha is widely aware of the attacks on OTV. “Our channel has been fearless and persistent in reporting fact-based news much to their (government’s) displeasure. The 13 false cases filed against OTV in the last 2 months is manifestation of their rage against us. In some of the cases, the courts have granted interim bail. No surprise that they felt the need to fabricate something new.”

In a statement issued last month, the Editors Guild of India had also condemned the Odisha government’s move against OTV. Early last month, senior OTV journalist Ramesh Rath was picked up by Keonjhar police in an alleged case of viral video involving BJD’s Keonjhar MP Chandrani Murmu. Rath later resigned from OTV.

The OTV CFO’s arrest was condemned by the Congress and the BJP. Senior Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka said the Odisha government seemed to be scared. “It’s a clear case of vendetta which is trying to curb the freedom of expression,” said Congress MP from Koraput, Saptagiri Ulaka. BJP MP from Bhubaneswar, Aparajita Sarangi also asked if the Odisha government is afraid or it wants to hide something. Senior BJP leader and Sundergarh MP, Jual Oram said, “The vindictive action against OTV is a dastardly attempt to throttle the voice of media in the state.”

But BJD MP Amar Patnaik said though Odisha Land Reforms Act prohibits the purchase of SC land by non-SC people, Jay Panda used his unlettered driver, who happened to be an SC, to buy land at throwaway prices, who then sold these to his infra company as he (the driver) had a little too much of land. “What kind of society have we come to live in where the filthy rich are still impoverishing the poor of whatever little possession they have? Let’s all wake up and raise a chorus of revolt! The power has to be with the poor,” tweeted Patnaik.