By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, June 29, 2016 : The ruling Biju Janata Dal [BJD] president and chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday expelled Ollywood comic actor and casting couch accused Tatwa Prakash Satpathy aka Papu Pom Pom from the primary membership of the party.

“BJD president today expelled Tatwa Prakash Satpathy – Papu Pom Pom – from the party,” BJD general secretary and Industries minister Debi Prasad Misra on Wednesday said. He howeer did not give any reason for expulsion of the actor from the party.

Incidentally, Papu Pom Pom was the party candidate for Champua Assembly constituency in 2014 general election, but he lost the poll.

The comic actors’s name figured in two back-to-back scandals. First, he was accused to have dabbled in the Rs 230 crore Oscar Group chit fund scam and was pretty close to its chief Prabhas Rout. Second he was accused of sexual harassment of a minor girl on the pretext of giving her a break in films.

Pappu, however, has so far remained silent ever since a complaint was filed against him at the Mahila police station here on behalf of the minor victim of the casting couch syndrome by Friends Foundation Trust. A police team that went to his Jagannath Vihar residence here yesterday returned empty handed.

The opposition BJP and Congress have launched a tirade against the beleaguered actor demanding his immediate arrest. Accusing the ruling BJD of shielding the actor, the BJP said, “Why is the ruling party silent on the issue? Is it protecting a person who is accused of sexually exploiting a minor? Naveen Patnaik should immediately sack the actor from the party.”

Protests were staged by women activists of several organisations in many parts of the State. The mounting pressure literally forced the BJD supremo to act against the actor-turned politician.

The ruling party has been on a back foot over involvement of several party MLAs, MPs and activists in the multi-crore chit fund scam.

Senior BJD leader and Excise minister Damodar Rout admitted as much when he said; “After a police case on a serious charge was lodged against him and he went missing, what else could the party have done?”

Earlier in the day, Bhubaneswar DCP Satyabrata Bhoi said a team had been formed by the commissionerate police to trace the absconding actor.