Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Dec 14: The sleuths of Central Bureau of Investigation Sunday arrested Durga Prasad Mishra, the managing director of Microfinance Limited, one of the 44 chit fund companies being investigated by the Central agency.
According to CBI sources in Delhi, Durga Prasad who was named in the FIR was apprehended Sunday. ‘‘He was elusive since March 2014. The Microfinance company has more than 10 sister companies, including MBC TV channel. It is alleged the companies had collected over Rs.500 crore from depositors,” CBI, PRO cell, said in a release. CBI, Monday raided Mishra’s residence here.
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch, which was probing the chit fund scam before the CBI took over the case at the behest of the Supreme Court, had raided several offices of the company.
The company had mobilised deposits from five lakh investors under various schemes it had launched.
Earlier, the CBI grilled Artha Tatwa (AT) Group’s former director Jagabandhu Panda in connection with his links with senior police officer Pramod Panda.
The Central agency found many incriminating papers during raids November 18 on the residence of Panda, a Crime Branch DSP at Bhadrak. Jagabandhu is a relative of Pramod. Panda has been accused of threatening Alok Jena, a Congress leader and petitioner who moved the Supreme Court leading to the CBI probe. Jena and his wife had filed three FIRs against Panda after the alleged threats.