Samikhsya Bureau
Former Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) secretary Arshibad Behera was today arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation( CBI) for his alleged link with the AT group Chit Fund scam. A team of CBI officials arrested Behera from his Cuttack residence in the early morning on a non- bailable warrant(NBW) issued by the Special CBI court and brought him to the CBI office in Bhubaneswar to be produced before the court.
Along with Behera, the owner of a hotel Kamalakanta Das was also arrested by the CBI in connection with the AT Chit fund scam. CBI SP J N Rana said the agency had submitted charge sheet against Behera and Das besides Director of AT group Sambit Khuntia in the Special court.He also clarified that the CBI will not take Behera on remand for further interrogation.
While Khuntia was arrested by the CBI in 2014, Behera and Das, who were grilled by the agency several times in the past, were arrested today on the basis of NBW issued by the court. The CBI chargesheet stated that the OCA through its honorary secretary Arshibad Behera has entered into a criminal conspiracy with the AT group of companies to promote it and received Rs.1 crore from the AT group for sponsorship of the Orissa Ranji Cricket team and Orissa Premier League ( OPL ) tournament, organized on the line of the IPL in 2011.
Arshibad Behera described his arrest as a planned and orchestrated and said “you all know why I have been arrested after such a long period of five years”. His son Sanjaya Behera condemned the arrest of his father and said it was done at the behest of the opponents who are contesting the election to the office bearers of the OCA, the last date of filing of nomination is slated on September 20. He further said though there is a well-planned conspiracy against our panel yet it will win the election with a thumping majority.
