Raja Chakra arrested by Odisha CB in transport scam
Bhubaneswar (13/03/2025): BJD leader Raja Chakra was arrested by Odisha Crime Branch on Thursday in connection with a transport and mining scam. Yesterday, his anticipatory bail petition was rejected by the Orissa High Court. The High Court had also rejected the bail application of Chakra's four associates. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) PS case Number 03 dtd 07.03.2025 u/s 406/ 409/ 420/ 467/ 468/ 471/ 120-B IPC was registered on 7th February 2025 on the report of one of the villager residing near Gandhamardan Mines, Keonjhar. The complainant alleged largest scale irregularity in the functioning of Gandhamardan Loading Agency and miss appropriation of funds of the cooperative, which has been created for the welfare of villagers affected by the mines. Basing on this report a detailed investigation was done.
In course of investigation, it was found that the loading agency had earned around 185 crores from 2017-18 to March 24. The broad investigation revealed that the President and Secretary, namely Manas Barik and Utkal Das, with the help of some other local influential persons had defrauded huge sums. In the name of Peripheral Development, 34 crores was taken, but no peripheral development was done. Similarly, 9.1 crores was taken away and paid to one Maa Kali Petrol Pump, which had not supplied any fuel to GML, rather, it was supplying fuel to the vehicles of one Soumya Shankar Chakra, whose payment was being done by GML. About Rs 33 crore were distributed to local villagers who are supposed to be the members of cooperative society.
This distribution ensured that villagers always came in support of Chakra. It is further found that around Rs 74 crore have been shown as loading charges and labour payment.
The corresponding Muster Roll and vouchers indicate huge mismatch.
It has been decided to get the period audited after which detailed defalcation would be known.
It is to further inform that the society has not conducted audit since 2012 and 13. Though Chakra was not associated with the society on paper, the Society was running as per his dictates through his henchman Sadashiv Samal, Sudhansu Shekhar Naik and Samir Jena. Raja Chakra has founded Sankar Mineral, Shankar Transporting Shankar Roadways and Sankar Project etc.to run his business.
Today on a tip off he has been picked up for further interrogation and clarify his role in the entire scam. So far, 42 vehicles belonging to Raja Chakra has been seized and further two screening plants have been seized. Basing on financial investigation, several bank accounts have been frozen and an amount of about 25 Lakhs freezed in the banks.
He is being interrogated and further investigation is being done to unearth the involvement of other persons and the entire racket.
