AT Group fraud: HC asks ex-govt advocate to appear before CBI

BHUBANESWAR/CUTTACK: The Orissa high court on Wednesday asked former additional government advocate Debashis Panda to depose before the CBI on April 2 and cooperate with the agency in the probe into AT Group fraud.
The court, however, granted him interim protection and said the central investigating agency cannot arrest him till the next hearing. Debashis is also a lawyer of Enforcement Directorate.
His suspected role came to the light after the arrest of former advocate general Ashok Mohanty on September 22, 2014.Debashis, who served as additional government advocate from 2009 and 2014, had signed as a witness in sale deed of a house that Mohanty purchased from AT Group’s chief Pradeep Sethy. The CBI claimed Mohanty did not pay all the money to Sethy, thereby misappropriating the company’s funds.
“Since Debashis was a witness, his role is under scanner. Besides, we received allegations against him after seizing some incriminating documents from the house of DSP Pramod Panda, who was arrested on December 19,” a CBI officer said. “We called Debashis for questioning in October last year. Instead of cooperating with us, he moved high court, seeking anticipatory bail in the case,” the officer said. CBI’s counsel V Narasingh vehemently opposed the bail plea, stating that the investigating agency had concrete evidence against Debashis and there is an urgent need to examine him to unravel the truths related to the multi-crore chit fund scam in the state. “The court directed Debashis to appear at CBI office on April 2 at 10 am and extend full cooperation in the probe,” said a counsel.
Despite repeated attempts, Debashis could not be contacted for comment.
The court granted Debashis Panda interim protection and said the central investigating agency cannot arrest him till the next hearing. Debashis is a lawyer of Enforcement Directorate.