Two more cases against Odisha MLA Pradeep Panigrahy

BERHAMPUR: Dashing hopes of Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy of an early release from jail, Golanthara police registered two cheating cases against the expelled BJD leader basing on complaints lodged by two persons on Tuesday.

The first complainant was Lakhmi Narayana Nayak of Gunupur village who filed an FIR alleging that Panigrahy took `6 lakh from him to employ his son in Tata Motors. However, the MLA failed to provide the promised job and also did not return the money. 

Similarly, Prasant Kumar Kar of Chikarada village also lodged a complaint accusing Panigrahy of taking `3 lakh to engage him in the same company. The MLA neither gave him any job nor returned the money. 
Both the cases have been registered with Golanthara police. Sadar SDPO Jayant Mohapatra said police will bring the MLA on remand soon. 

With the fresh cases, it is unlikely that Panigrahy will be released on bail any time soon. Hoping for his early release, the MLA’s supporters had put up banners in Gopalpur area wishing new year to voters.

Panigrahy landed in trouble in November last year after his would-be son-in-law Akash and his father IFS officer Abhaykant Pathak were nabbed for job fraud and amassing disproportionate assets.Soon after, Panigrahy was expelled from BJD and later arrested on charges of cheating lakhs of rupees from unemployed youths of various areas including Ganjam by promising jobs in Tata Motors.