ED Team from Kolkata probes Sahara India Land scam in Odisha's Berhampur
Berhampur: A special team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from Kolkata has launched an investigation into an alleged land scam involving property owned by Sahara India at Berhampur in Ganjam district of Odisha.
Following the collapse of Sahara India, the Supreme Court had directed that all movable and immovable assets of the company be sold through the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to refund money to investors affected by the chit fund scam.
According to reports, Sahara India owns around 42 acres of land in Berhampur.
Allegations have surfaced that the land was illegally taken over by the Vijnana Bharati Charitable Trust (VBCT).
It is alleged that the trustee of VBCT fraudulently registered about 31 acres of the land in January this year by issuing post-dated cheques worth Rs 8 crore.
When the trust later applied for land patta, several affected investors raised objections and demanded a refund of their money. They also approached SEBI regarding the issue.
However, SEBI reportedly clarified that it had not received any payment related to the transaction.
Taking the matter seriously, a special ED team from Kolkata conducted raids on the morning of Februaey 26 and seized several important documents during the operation.
Earlier, the ED had also conducted raids at Hi-Tech Medical College in connection with the alleged NRI medical seat scam linked to the Hi-Tech Group.
The case reportedly involved Tirupati Panigrahi and his son, MLA Rupesh Panigrahi. The group’s Managing Director, Suresh Panigrahi, had allegedly fled to Dubai after the scam came to light.
As part of the ongoing probe into the Berhampur land fraud, ED officials are now searching for the mastermind behind the alleged forgery.
The agency has also reportedly carried out searches at multiple locations linked to the Hi-Tech Group, including the residence of Tirupati Panigrahi at Utkal Vatika, where officials are conducting questioning.
