Bhubaneswar, Sep 20 : The Economic Offence Wing of Odisha Crime Branch police has stated that Odia language daily Sambad and Eastern Media Limited (EML) have used fraudulent methods of cheating, forgery, and coercion to force over 350 employees to avail loans amounting to crores.
In an official press release, EOW said a case was registered on September 16 against Sambad Editor Soumyaranjan Pattnayak, who is also the ruling BJD MLA from Khandapada Assembly seat,EML HR Head Baijyanti Kar, and others on the allegation of an ex-employee of Sambad that a large number of employees were forced to take personal loans under threat.
The EOW release further said that investigation and evidence collected so far have revealed a huge, well-planned, and meticulously planned scam to get the loan amounts sanctioned in crores of rupees using fraudulent methods of cheating, forgery, and coercion.
It said over 350 Sambad/EML employees have taken loans from Odisha Gramya Bank, IRC village branch alone, over the last few years. Loans taken from other banks like SBI and others are yet to be scrutinised, the release said, adding that the actual figure is expected to be much higher.
The loan of Rs 5 lakh was taken by each staff member under the easy money loan scheme of the bank on the ground, like house repair, for which forged salary certificates were submitted by Sambad and EML authorities to avail the loan.
During the course of the investigation, some vital witnesses have been examined, and a number of incriminating documents have been collected during the investigation by the EOW team from the Sambad office, the release said.
When contacted, the Sambad office sources said the EOW officials visited the Sambad office. The staff of Sambad had cooperated with the enforcement agency and provided all documents as per their request.
“We are fully committed to further cooperating in the investigation, as we have nothing to hide and believe there is no truth to the allegations,” Sambad sources said.
The issue has assumed political significance in the state as both the BJP and the Congress, the two major opposition political parties, have condemned the raids on the newspaper office by the EOW, dubbing it an attempt to throttle press freedom.
Sambad office sources also described the EOW action as a case of political vendetta and an attack on the freedom of the press.
The newspaper recently became vocal in writing against the functioning of the ruling Biju Janata Dal and published two signed articles by its Editor, S. R Pattnayak questioning the dominance of bureaucracy in the functioning of the party and government undermining of the elected representatives.
