BackCBI arrests former Odisha advocate-general for suspected links with Artha Tatwa group
Ashok Mohanty alleged to have misappropriated funds of Artha Tatwa group in case related to Saradha scam
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Bhubaneswar: Barely 10 days after he resigned, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday arrested Odisha’s former advocate-general Ashok Mohanty for allegedly abusing his official position and misappropriating funds of the Artha Tatwa group of companies in a case which is an offshoot of the Saradha chit fund scam.
After several rounds of questioning by the special investigating unit formed by the CBI, Mohanty was picked up from his residence in Cuttack and informed that he had been placed under arrest. After a mandatory medical check-up, the former top law officer of the state was brought to the CBI office on charges of allegedly misappropriating money from Artha Tatwa, a ponzi company which allegedly duped investors of crores of rupees in the state.
“The truth will ultimately come out. God and guru are my witnesses. As per my conscience, I have not committed any wrong," Mohanty told reporters while being taken inside the CBI’s state headquarters in Bhubaneswar. Mohanty was interrogated by the CBI on 13 September, a day after he resigned from the advocate-general’s post and had denied allegations that he got a house in Cuttack free of cost from chairman-cum-managing directior of Artha Tatwa (AT) group Pradip Sethy. The plot of the Cuttack Development Authority, believed to be worth over 1 crore, was given to Mohanty allegedly without making any payment, the CBI claimed.
The charge was, however, denied by Mohanty who said he had paid 1.01 crore through cheques issued against his bank account in State Bank of India. During the probe, the CBI claimed to have found that on 5 October 2012, Sethy sought a no objection certificate (NOC) to sell his plot. The NOC was received and within 20 days, it was sold to Mohanty, allegedly without any payment being made against it, the CBI alleged and claimed that Mohanty helped the group in escaping any action by state authorities.
The former advocate-general also claimed to have shown bank documents to CBI officials in regard to the payment.
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