Bhubaneswar, Mar 13 (Reporter) The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Odisha Crime Branch on Thursday arrested BJD leader Raja Chakra in connection with large-scale irregularities in a mining and transport scam. Chakra was arrested after the Orissa High Court vacated the interim stay granted to him on Wednesday. The court also rejected the bail applications of four other associates of Chakra. According to EOW sources, Raja Chakra was taken into custody following a marathon interrogation by Crime Branch officials to determine his role in the scam. The EOW had registered a case against Raja Chakra on March 7 under Sections 406, 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, and 120-B of the IPC, based on a complaint from a villager residing near the Gandhamardan Mines in Odisha’s Keonjhar district. The complainant alleged large-scale irregularities in the functioning of Gandhamardan Loading Agency and misappropriation of cooperative funds meant for the welfare of villagers affected by mining activities. Crime Branch DG Vinayatosh Mishra stated that, based on this complaint, a detailed investigation was conducted. During the inquiry, it was found that the loading agency had earned approximately Rs.185 crores from 2017-18 to March 2024, a figure that may increase further after a comprehensive audit. The Crime Branch DG further revealed that the broad investigation indicated that the President and Secretary of the cooperative, Manas Barik and Utkal Das, along with some other influential local figures, had defrauded substantial amounts. Both the President and Secretary of the Cooperative society have already been arrested by the Crime Branch The Crime Branch DG stated that Rs.34 crores were taken in the name of Peripheral Development, but no actual development work was carried out, as per reports from two Block Development Officers. Similarly, Rs.9.1 crores were paid to Maa Kali Petrol Pump, which, instead of supplying fuel to Gandhamardan Mines Limited (GML), provided fuel to the vehicles of Soumya Shankar Chakra, alias Raja Chakra. However, the payments were made by GML. Mishra also noted that around Rs.33 crores were distributed among local villagers, who were supposed to be members of the cooperative society. This ensured their continued support for Chakra. The EOW investigation further revealed that approximately Rs.74 crores had been shown as loading charges and labor payments. However, the corresponding muster rolls and vouchers indicated significant discrepancies. The Crime Branch DG stated that a detailed audit would be conducted to ascertain the extent of the misappropriation, as the society had not undergone an audit since 2012-13. Although Raja Chakra was not officially associated with the cooperative society on paper, it was effectively being run under his directives through his associates—Sadashiv Samal, Sudhansu Shekhar Naik, and Samir Jena—who are now under the scanner of the Crime Branch. The EOW further stated that Raja Chakra had established multiple businesses, including Sankar Mineral, Shankar Transporting, Shankar Roadways, and Sankar Project, to facilitate his operations. The agency has already seized 42 vehicles belonging to Raja Chakra, along with two screening plants. Additionally, several bank accounts have been frozen as part of the financial investigation, with approximately Rs.25 lakhs seized from these accounts. Raja Chakra is currently being interrogated, and further investigations are underway to uncover the involvement of other individuals and the full extent of the racket, EOW sources said...////...