Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday referred the corruption allegations against Pradeep Panigrahi, Gopalpur MLA, to the Odisha Lokayukt for investigation.
This was the first corruption allegation referred by the State government to Lokayukt after its creation.
Mr. Panigrahi was accused of collecting money on behalf of one Akash Kumar Pathak by giving a false promise to provide jobs in a Tata group company.
The Crime Branch of the State Police is investigating the Gopalpur MLA, who was booked under Section 419, 420, 467, 468, 469, 471 and 120B of the IPC. The Crime Branch claimed that it had sufficient prima facie evidence against him in this case.
Akash Kumar Pathak was set to marry the daughter of Mr. Panigrahi, who was once the CM’s representative to his [the CM’s] Hinjilikatu Assembly Constituency. Mr. Pathak and his father, Abhay Kant Pathak, who was a former additional principal chief conservator of forest, were arrested in a corruption case. Both father and son were found to have amassed huge properties that were disproportionate to their known sources of income.
Mr. Akash Pathak had posed as the MD of Tata Motors’ passenger car division. The Pathak family frequently flew by chartered aircraft to different places in India during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Mr. Panigrahi is suspected to have close relations with the Pathak father-son duo. Meanwhile, the bail plea of the Gopalpur MLA was rejected by Additional District Judge-3, Bhubaneswar in the Crime Branch case.
