Bhubaneswar, Aug. 5: The CBI today interrogated a close aide of school, mass education and industries minister Debi Prasad Mishra and a BJD functionary for their alleged links with sham money deposit collection firms.

The CBI grilled Dillip Mishra, who looks after the minister's constituency related matters, and Prafulla Singh, a former executive president of the BJD's Cuttack district unit, for several hours. Sources said both of them were grilled for their alleged links with the Seashore Group of Companies, which has been accused of swindling crores of rupees from investors across the state.

Dillip, however, alleged that BJD MLA Pravat Tripathy, who had earlier been arrested for his links with the Artha Tatwa Group, another sham deposit collection company, was behind his interrogation. "The CBI asked me whether I collected any money on behalf of the minister. I told them that I don't know the Seashore owner. My interrogators told me that they had got my name from Pravat Tripathy. I only look after the minister's political affairs in his constituency and have never been involved in his financial affairs," said Dillip after coming out of the CBI office this evening.

The Seashore Group had signed a number of MoUs with the state government and its agencies to set up joint ventures. While it had inked a pact with the Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency to set up a solar plant at Titilagarh, another MoU was signed with Idco to set up a maize processing plant at Ummerkote in Nabarangpur district. The state government had authorised it to promote tourism at Atri hot spring near Khurda and develop tourism on the banks of the Mahanadi river in Cuttack. Mishra was the then tourism minister of the state.

The minister said the government had followed the norms while allowing the group to start boating facilities in the Mahanadi in Cuttack. "Initially, a private firm had started the boating facility, but later, it failed to run the service. After this, the state government had invited other parties, and the Seashore Group got the job. So, there was no question of showing favour to any one on part of the government," said the minister.

He, however, declined to comment on the interrogation of his aide. He also said Dillip was not a government employee and looked after grievances of the people in his constituency.

The CBI has so far interrogated several ruling party leaders besides arresting Mayurbhanj MP Rama Chandra Hansdah and Banki MLA Tripathy. Tripathy, accused of receiving Rs 42 lakh in cash for patronising the Artha Tatwa Group chief Pradeep Sethy, is currently on bail.