Bhubaneswar, July 27: The state anti-corruption wing is now probing into the role of Himanshu Kar, believed to be a close associate of labour official Motilal Gauda, who has been accused of fabricating a government gazette notification.

Vigilance sources said Kar's role came under the scanner after the investigating agency found a transfer of Rs 3.06 lakh from his account to the bank account of Gauda's wife.

The vigilance has summoned Kar to appear before them. Kar is a Class-III employee at Capital Hospital.

It is also alleged that Kar had grabbed work orders worth crores of rupees from various government agencies, including the works department, with the help of some BJD leaders.

Sources said Kar also had close links with BJD members just like Gauda, whom the crime branch arrested on July 3. Gauda's proximity to a minister and three MLAs of the ruling party has exposed the party to attacks from the Opposition, which has been accusing the BJD of extending him political patronage.

BJP Yuva Morcha president Tankadhar Tripathy today alleged that Kar was close to three BJD ministers. "The BJD is shielding Kar who was involved in corrupt practices. Though the investigating agency has already come to know about his financial transactions with Gauda's wife, it is yet to arrest him. The police must arrest him at the earliest," said Tripathy.

In October 2015, Gauda, assistant director (medical) with the department of labour and Employees State Insurance (ESI), had allegedly prepared a fake gazette notification through which he had asked some industrial units to conduct health checkups of their employees with five pathology labs. Gauda had sent the list of pathology labs to around 600 companies, including some public-sector undertakings.

Gauda had allegedly received kickbacks worth Rs 1 crore from various private pathology labs.

The BJD, however, today denied the allegations made by the BJP and challenged the Opposition to furnish evidence to corroborate its allegations. "The investigating agency is conducting its probe without any pressure and it has already arrested Gauda. If the Opposition has any documents to prove the complicity of Kar, they must provide the documents to the investigating agency," said BJD spokesperson Shashi Bhushan Behera.

In a related development, the vigilance department today took Tripura cadre IPS officer Joydeep Nayak, who was arrested over his alleged role in misappropriation of Rs 88 lakh meant for training of SC and ST students, on three-days' remand.