ED summons Dharmasala MLA for Dhal Samant links

  • | Saturday | 5th May, 2018

"We assume that Balabantaray's company might have genuine business transactions with Dhal Samant brothers before their arrest. "We found suspicious financial transactions between the gangster brothers and Balabantaray's transport company. BHUBANESWAR: The enforcement directorate (ED) has summoned BJD's Dharmasala MLA Pranab Kumar Balabantaray to appear for interrogation for his alleged links with gangster brothers Sushant and Sushil Dhal Samant.The ruling party has reasons to worry as police had in March this year arrested BJD corporator from Cuttack Ranjita Biswal for her alleged links with the gangster brothers. He has been asked to bring details of audit report of his company from 2005-06 till 2009-10. Cuttack police had seized a fleet of luxury cars.

BHUBANESWAR: The enforcement directorate (ED) has summoned BJD's Dharmasala MLA Pranab Kumar Balabantaray to appear for interrogation for his alleged links with gangster brothers Sushant and Sushil Dhal Samant.The ruling party has reasons to worry as police had in March this year arrested BJD corporator from Cuttack Ranjita Biswal for her alleged links with the gangster brothers. Balabantaray has been asked to depose at 3 pm on May 7 at the ED's regional office here, stated the notice, which was sent to him on Tuesday.TOI possesses a copy of the notice. "We found suspicious financial transactions between the gangster brothers and Balabantaray's transport company. He has been asked to bring details of audit report of his company from 2005-06 till 2009-10. Besides, he has been asked to explain details of the financial transactions between his company and the gangster brothers," an ED officer told TOI.The probe agency refused to divulge details when asked about the exact amount of money transacted between the MLA and Dhal Samant brothers.Despite repeated attempts, Balabantaray, son of late BJD heavyweight Kalpataru Das could not be contacted. The CBI had grilled Balabantaray on September 10, 2014, for his alleged complicity in Artha Tattwa (AT) Group chit fund scam.With elections scheduled next year, the Congress and BJP leaders got fresh fodder to mount an attack on the BJD.The opposition parties that until recently went hammer and tongs at the government over the rise in incidents of sexual assault on women and children accused the ruling party of showing undue favour to chit fund companies and criminals.BJD denied the charges and said it has no idea as to why Balabantaray has been summoned by ED. "We assume that Balabantaray's company might have genuine business transactions with Dhal Samant brothers before their arrest. We do not think the MLA had any dubious transactions," a BJD leader said.Police on January 29, 2016 arrested Sushil along with his brother Sushant on a series of charges, including murder, extortion and tender mafia. The brothers are still lodged in judicial custody.In March 2017, the ED attached properties worth nearly Rs 8.2 crore belonging to the notorious gangster brothers.The attached assets included a palatial building in Cuttack, Rs 3.49 crore bank deposits and Rs 3.62 crore cash recovered during raids on their houses in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack by police. Cuttack police had seized a fleet of luxury cars.

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