By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, March 11, 2016: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the multi-thousand crore chit fund scam in Odisha on Thursday interrogated the state chief of Surat-based ponzi firm Astha International inside the Jharpada jail here.
A three-member CBI team grilled Lenka on where he had invested depositors’ money and his alleged political links, CBI sources revealed.

The CBI has obtained permission from the appropriate court to interrogate Lenka for two days.

Earlier, the CBI had questioned Lenka’s brother Chandrasekhar at its office on February 23.
Lenka was arrested by the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of the Crime Branch on June 8, 2013 on the charge of embezzling about Rs 200 crore from investors in the state.

The company had opened two offices in Bhubaneswar and Berhampur in 2010.

The company had come out with a public notice on June 5, 2012 stating that it had been incurring losses and would cease to function.

Astha International had spread its operations to West Bengal apart from running real estate schemes in Odisha.
In another development, the CBI registered a case against former director of Odisha Mineral Development Company Ltd (OMDC) under sections of criminal conspiracy, cheating and misuse of official position.

It was alleged that said officials of OMDC, a Public Sector Undertaking under the Union ministry of steel, had conspired with the other private persons and companies during the period 2003 to 2010 in formation of a Joint Venture (JV) for setting up a Sponge Iron Plant at Odisha.

Thereafter, the shares of this JV were transferred to private companies in violation of the terms of JV resulting in huge loss to the government exchequer.

Searches were conducted at seven locations, including New Delhi, Kolkata and Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh at the premises of accused which led to recovery of incriminating documents relating to the case.