Chit fund heat: Naveen debars three ministers from visiting his home

“The interrogation and possible arrest of Sahoo, who spent 14 hours a day at Naveen Nivas is not a good sign,” said a senior BJD leader. “Though other BJD men were interrogated and arrested, the CM has never been so troubled,” he said. Party sources said a cautious Naveen has debarred 3 ministers the CBI might interrogate from coming to his residence.

Sources said the CM is so worried over the probe’s effect on his party’s image that last week he asked party spokesmen to tell the media that the party could knock SC doors, alleging the CBI of hatching a “political conspiracy”.

Also, the Opposition’s demand for a discussion on the scam in the Assembly was kept pending for 7 days and finally turned down by Speaker Niranjan Pujari after the Advocate General advised that the matter was “sub judice”.

Commenting on the move, former parliamentary affairs minister of BJD Panchanan Kanungo said the Speaker’s decision was an “insult to the Speaker’s chair and the Assembly”. “The AG is a subordinate official and he can’t dictate the Assembly. Besides, the scam is now being probed by CBI at the orders of Supreme Court. How can it be sub judice? The chief minister is simply scared of being sucked into the probe,” he said.

Meanwhile, the CBI Friday interrogated senior journalist Lalit Pattajoshi in connection with the scam.