Cuttack, July 5: Six deposit collection companies have sought Orissa High Court’s intervention against the economic offences wing sealing their offices and business premises during its investigation into alleged fraudulent activities by these and other similar firms.

The deposit collection companies have challenged the sealing on the ground of legality. The state government, however, has maintained that sealing the offices was in the interest of the public and investors.

The court has agreed to consider the petitions only after the CID-crime branch’s economic offences wing submits a status report on its investigation into each of the cases registered against the six firms. Accordingly, the petitions have been posted for analogous hearing on July 15.

When the petitions came up for hearing on Wednesday, advocate general Ashok Mohanty submitted on behalf of the state government that not sealing the offices and business premises in the midst of investigations would affect the probe.

Mohanty also said it would not be in the interest of the general public and investors as there was a possibility that the “fraudulent” deposit collection companies might resume their deceptive activities.

Taking note of it, the division bench of Chief Justice C. Nagappan and Justice Pradip Mohanty has posted the petitions to July 15 and directed the economic offences wing to justify by then the necessity of keeping the offices and business premises of the petitioner companies sealed as part of the investigation.