The Odisha Lokayukta has directed the State Crime Branch to submit a detailed report about the inquiry the agency had conducted pertaining to alleged irregularity in land transactions involving high profile politicians of the State.
The inquiry pertains to the purchase and sale of high value lease land at Ghangapatna area on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar in 2014.
The crime branch has been asked to submit its report by October 17 while next hearing in the case has been fixed on October 21.
Pradip Pradhan, an RTI activist, had filed a complaint with the Lokayukts alleging the land irregularities were suppressed under instructions from top government authorities.
“In August, 2014, local people and media had exposed that vast stretches of leased land belonging to tribal people had been illegally acquired by late Kalpataru Das, who was then an influential BJD minister, and his son , and the daughter of a BJP MLA,” alleged Mr. Pradhan.
After concerns were expressed over land deals, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on August 28, 2014 had directed the crime branch to conduct a probe into the scam and submit its report within two months.
“Local tahsildar, in his report to the revenue department, had also pointed out large-scale irregularities in the sale and purchase of land and how middlemen, in connivance with officials, had fraudulently sold land in the area to several persons,” said Mr. Pradhan.
He said during the course of Crime Branch inquiry, a series of arrests of poor tribal lease holders were made and it was claimed that 76 acres of illegally acquired land had been brought back to government record.
According to the activist, though Crime Branch arrested poor tribals and few government officials, no action was taken against influential politicians.