CBI Reopens Probe Into Seashore Chit Fund Scam

Bhubaneswar: CBI is reportedly planning to reinvestigate the Seashore chit fund scam in the state.

Notably, Seashore Group of Companies is one of the 44 tainted Ponzi firms being probed by the CBI for the multi-crore scam in Odisha following a Supreme Court directive.

Sources said a team of CBI officials had grilled a prime accused, who was recently released on bail, in connection with the Seashore chit fund scam on Saturday. The accused was interrogated from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm to ascertain the details about the complicity of two senior IAS officers and an IPS officer in the scam, the sources said.

CBI officials, however, refused to comment to the media on the development.

But the sources said the Central investigating agency is all set to reopen the case pertaining to the involvement of around 12 senior officials.

Notably, the CBI had summoned two senior Odisha cadre IPS officers in July 2018 in connection with their alleged complicity in the Seashore chit fund scam.

The two IPS officers, whose name has not been disclosed, were grilled by the CBI officials earlier.

The CBI, in course of the investigation, had found the name of these two IPS officers in the diary of Subhankar Nayak, the wheeler-dealer who was arrested in connection with the Seashore chit fund scam.

Earlier, the CBI had summoned Seashore Group of Companies CMD Prashant Dash, IAS officer Parag Gupta and retired IAS officer Sangram Keshari Ray to its Bhubaneswar branch office for interrogation.

While Ray and Dash had appeared and were grilled by the CBI officials, Gupta is yet to respond to the notice.