By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, September 21, 2023: Odisha Chief Minister and president of Biju Janata Dal Naveen Patnaik on Thursday expelled two MLAs, Khandapada legislator Soumya Ranjan Patnaik and Remuna MLA from the party a day ahead of monsoon session of the Assembly session.

The statement issued by the BJD president says said both were being expelled for alleged involvement in separate cases of financial fraud.

While the Khandapada MLA was expelled following registration of case against him by Economic Offence Wing, Odisha under Section 506, 467 and 420 of IPC, Parida was accused of misappropriating over Rs 3 crore of government subsidy meant for farmers, between 2017 and 2020, which is being inquired into by the State Vigilance on the orders of the Lokayukta.

The statement further said, “Further many ex-employees of Sambad newspaper (edited by Soumya Ranjan Patnaik) have made similar allegations with EOW Odisha. It is a serious case of organized bank fraud involving loan worth crores of rupees taken in the name of more than 300 employees of Sambad by using fraudulent means and forged documents,” the statement reads.

Soumya Ranjan Patnaik’s expulsion was very much on the cards with his relationship with BJD nosediving following his editorials questioning whirlwind tour of different districts by V.K. Pandian, private secretary to Odisha CM, by helicopters and addressing of public meetings which were allegedly of political nature.

His sharp editorials triggered massive row in political circle and general public. People started to discuss as to how authority of Odisha CM was demeaned due to district tours by an IAS officer.

BJD leaders accused Soumya Ranjan Patnaik of getting down to blackmail BJD leadership as he was not made Minister. The allegation was dismissed by the Sambad editor. On the other hand, the Sambad newspaper and Kanaka TV, sister concern of the former, alleged that out of vengeance, the State government had stopped releasing advertisements for Sambad group’s media outlets.

An EOW press release says investigation revealed that a huge, well and meticulously planned scam was hatched by Sambad group to get loan amounts sanctioned in crores of rupees using fraudulent method of cheating, forgery and coercion.

“More than 350 employees of Sambad have taken loan from Odisha Gramya Bank, IRC Village branch alone over the last few years,” said EOW.

Though loans taken by Sambad employees purportedly at behest of Sambad group was old incidents, the cases were activated following soured relationship between Soumya Ranjan Patnaik and BJD leadership.

Journalists and activists criticised the timing of investigation launched against Sambad editor.

The expulsions come a day before the beginning of the Monsoon Session of the state Assembly, where the BJP and Congress are expected to raise questions about Pandian. Soumya Ranjan will not be in the Treasury Benches now.

In March 2021, Balasore-based social activist Tanmaya Mohanty had filed a complaint, alleging that a local firm in which Parida was once a managing partner, Nigamananda Associates, had siphoned off Rs 9 crore in government funds meant to subsidise the purchase of farm machinery. In May 2022, the Odisha Lokayukta asked the state Vigilance Department to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the allegations.

On June 9 this year, when the Lokayukta sought the state Assembly’s views on the Vigilance Department’s preliminary report, Parida had denied his involvement in the alleged scam, saying he had left the firm in 2015.

Soumya Ranjan, who was earlier in the BJP and then the Congress, joined the BJD in 2018.

In the current tenure of Naveen Patnaik, Soumya Ranjan and Parida have joined the list of BJD MLAs to be expelled by the party for “anti-people” activities. Former minister and Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy and Chilika MLA Prasanta Jagadev were earlier expelled, in November 2020 and March 2022, respectively.