Bhubaneswar: The CBI Tuesday conducted raids at 18 places in Odisha, New Delhi and Mumbai, including the houses of Rajya Sabha MP Pyarimohan Mohapatra, in connection with the chit fund scam involving Seashore Group.
Houses of Mohapatra in Bhubaneswar and New Delhi were raided, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official said in New Delhi.
The CBI also conducted raids in Cuttack, Titlagarh in Bolangir district and Rourkela in Sundargarh district on houses of various senior government officials and the houses and offices of the directors of the Seashore Group.
"I welcome the CBI's investigation. It would reveal who has looted the people of Odisha," Mohapatra told reporters. Mohapatra was one-time mentor of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
The Seashore Group allegedly duped thousands of people of about Rs.1,500 crore. The group had signed MoUs with the Odisha government in the tourism, health and cooperative sectors.
Many political bigwigs along with some government officials are allegedly involved in the scam. The CBI has already arrested BJD MP Ram Chandra Hansdah, BJD MLA Pravat Tripathy, former BJP legislator Hitesh Bagarti and former BJD legislator Subarna Naik in this connection.