The economic offences wing of the state crime branch on Monday raided the office of Sambad, Odisha’s largest-circulated vernacular daily, triggering a political storm since it has been critical of chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s powerful private secretary, V.K. Pandian.
The Congress and the BJP described the raid as political vendetta.
Economic offences wing (EOW) officials are questioning Baijayanti Kar, HR head of Eastern Media Limited (EML), the holding company that runs Sambad, Kanaka TV and Radio Chocolate.
She is being questioned in connection with an alleged loan fraud committed by the company.
On Sunday, the EOW had questioned EML chief operating officer Kamalakanta Mohapatra.
Sources said the officials were preparing the ground for questioning Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, EML chairman and Sambad editor.
Soumya, son-in-law of former chief minister J.B. Patnaik, is an MLA of the ruling Biju Janata Dal.
On September 12, he was removed as party vice-president in what political sources said was punishment for his newspaper’s constant criticism of Pandian.
Sources said the raid was conducted on a complaint lodged by a former EML
employee who had worked with Sambad from 2009 to 2020.
Complainant Aseem Mohapatra has alleged that EML twice took loans of Rs 5 lakh in his name, in 2009 and 2015, after forcing him to give his consent.
Mohapatra’s lawyer Dibyajyoti Das said an FIR had been lodged against Soumya, Baijayanti “and other employees of the house”.
The charges invoked are criminal intimidation, forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy.
Senior Congress leader Panchanan Kanungo said: “Why was the employee concerned silent for the last 14 years? Has he been prompted by anyone to lodge the complaint?”
Soumya became anathema for the government after he began questioning Pandian’s style of functioning and his travels on a helicopter hired by the government.
Soumya’s daughter and the group’s executive director, Tanaya Patnaik, wrote on social media: “The Odisha government has stopped advertisements to Sambad, Kanaka
TV and Radio Chocolate. They are using pressure tactics.”
