Bhubaneswar, Sept. 20: The BJD today staged a demonstration to protest against the arrest of its Cuttack-Choudwar legislator Pravat Biswal by the CBI on Tuesday even as the investigating agency grilled him in connection with his alleged dealings with money deposit company the Seashore group.

On the other hand, Laxmi Bilasini, his wife, who is on CBI remand for five days, today questioned her husband's arrest by the central agency.

Hundreds of BJD workers, including members of the party's students' wing, took out a motorcycle rally from Cuttack and staged a demonstration in front of the CBI office here. The agitators also scuffled with police while trying to forcefully enter the investigating agency's office.

'Biswal is a victim of political vendetta of the BJP-led central government. The CBI arrested Biswal at the behest of the BJP and it is clear that the investigating agency took him into custody after the BJD staged a demonstrationagainst the rise in fuel prices. We will continue to protest against this politically-motivated arrest,' said Smurti Ranjan Nayak, a student leader of the ruling party.

The agitation caused traffic congestion on the roads near the CBI office, forcing the police to divert the traffic on alternative routes.

'Adequate police personnel were deployed to prevent any untoward incident,' said deputy commissioner of police, Bhubaneswar, Satyabrata Bhoi.

In another development, the CBI has summoned Rajalaxmi Jena, the woman who allegedly received money from Biswal, for interrogation. CBI sources said the central agency had asked Jena to appear before them by Friday for a face-to-face interrogation session with Biswal.

CBI officials today grilled the three-time MLA to ascertain his role in helping Seashore chief Prashant Dash in expanding his business in Cuttack. The Ponzi firm was running a boating club on the Mahanadi river, apart from running several manufacturing units at the Jagatpur Industrial Estate in Cuttack.

Earlier, the CBI had alleged the legislator of receiving huge amount into the account of his wife from Seashore chief Dash for smooth functioning of the Ponzi firm in and around Cuttack.

Later in the evening, Biswal's wife Bilasini claimed that her husband had no role in the land deal at Benapur in Jajpur district.

'The land deal was between me and the Seashore Group of Companies. I received Rs 25 lakh in two instalments in cheques. The agreement was signed by me and I have also returned the money. So my husband had no role to play in the land deal and the CBI arrested him without any valid reason,' she claimed.

The CBI has accused Biswal of receiving Rs 9.02 lakh from the land deal from his wife.

The investigating agency also alleged that the legislator influenced Dash using his clout for which Dash also later claimed of getting the money back.