Bhubaneswar, Feb. 22: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today grilled Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) secretary Ashirbad Behera about the association's alleged links with the Artha Tatwa Group, which is one of the bigger companies involved in the money deposit collection scam.
The ED grilled Behera and four other office-bearers of the OCA for about six hours. This is the first time the OCA secretary has appeared before the ED.
Sources in the economic intelligence agency said Behera was questioned in connection with investment of Rs 1 crore made by Artha Tatwa in the OCA. The CBI so far has interrogated Behera five times, most recently on January 11 on his alleged link with the Artha Tatwa group and its chairman-cum-managing Pradeep Sethy.
After coming out of the ED office, Behera said that ED had asked him to furnish the details of how the Rs 1 crore given by Artha Tatwa was spent.
"The OCA had spent Rs 75 lakh for appointment of former Australian cricketer Michael Bevan as coach of the Odisha Ranji team and there were other expenses on the senior cricket team. Besides, the OCA had also spent Rs 25 lakh in the Odisha Premier League (OPL). The money has been spent transparently and there is no misappropriation," said Behera.
On August 16, 2014, the CBI had raided the association's office and Behera's residence.
Sources said around Rs 5 crore had been invested in the first edition of OPL. Apart from the franchise fees, which range between Rs 27 lakh and Rs 55 lakh, each franchise is said to have spent between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 15 lakh during the tournament.
Ten franchises had taken part in the tournament. However, its second edition was cancelled after income tax officials started hounding team owners about the source of their money invested in the tournament. Though the OCA tried to revive its third edition, it could not take off.
Earlier, the CBI had also arrested Ranjan Das, the chief of Swastik India and a close aide of BJD legislator from Banki, Pravat Tripathy, for allegedly duping investors. Das had allegedly bought Balasore Bagha, one of the franchises, in the first OPL.
