Pravat Biswal

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 24: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA from Choudwar-Cuttack Pravat Biswal today admitted to attending various functions of the money deposit collection company Seashore Group, which is under the CBI scanner.

“As the company was operating in my constituency, I had attended their programmes as an MLA. There are many companies in the industrial area of Jagatpur and Choudwar area. We used to organise various functions in these areas. But I have not done any thing illegal,” said Biswal.

For the first time, the ruling BJD MLA came out in his defence after the CBI had interrogated him and his wife on November 21.

Biswal further said that the Seashore Group had planned to buy land from them and even a deal was made to this effect. However, later the deal was cancelled and the advance money was returned to the company.

Biswal’s wife Laxmibilasini Biswal, former chairperson of Cuttack Zilla Parishad, who had also been interrogated by the CBI, said: “There was an agreement to sell 29.55 guntha (a unit measuring the land) to the company. Accordingly, it had given us Rs 25 lakh. But after the alleged failed coup against the chief minister on May 29, 2012, the group did not show interest to purchase the land and instead wanted to get back the money. Later we returned the money in phases. The Seashore Group chief had also given it in writing that they had receive the money.”

But it is yet to be clarified that whether the CBI accepted the argument of Biswal’s family in this regard as they had not return the money in cheque.

The Congress today staged a demonstration at Cuttack demanding immediate resignation of Biswal for his alleged link with the Seashore Group. They had also burnt effigies of Biswal.

The BJD continued to reiterate its stand that the CBI inquiry was politically motivated. BJD’s Mayurbhanj MP Rama Chandra Hansdah, its Banki MLA Pravat Tripathy, former BJD MLA from Keonjhar Subarna Nayak have already been arrested and put behind bars.

The Opposition today criticised the BJD for pointing fingers at the CBI investigation. “The CBI is now knocking at the doors of chief minister Naveen Patnaik. They are scared after the interrogation of his personal aide Saroj Sahu,” said former Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik.