Police registered case against Congress leaders

BHUBANESWAR: A case has been registered by the Commissionerate Police against senior Congress leaders for allegedly cheating a youth from the city of Rs 1.42 crore.

Ashutosh Mohapatra, the complainant from the capital city, alleged in his complaint that Ajoy Kumar, in-charge of Odisha Congress, and Sarat Pattanayak, former Odisha Congress chief, had a business deal with him for the supply of LED TVs and vehicles for campaigning during the general election 2024.

According to Mohapatra, the deal was finalized at Rs 1.5 crore, with the duo giving him an advance of Rs 8 lakh and assuring him that the remaining amount would be paid after the election. In his complaint, Mohapatra stated that the two politicians threatened him after he repeatedly asked for the amount.

The complainant also alleged that Biswaranjan Mohanty, a Congress leader, had threatened him with dire consequences when he asked for the money. Seeking intervention, Mohapatra approached the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court. Following a directive from the court, the Bharatpur Police registered a case in this matter on Tuesday.

“We are investigating the matter after registering a case against the Congress leaders,” said a police officer.

Sarat Pattanayak denied the allegations, stating that they are baseless. "I don't remember making any deal with any such person when I was Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president. It seems to be a malicious campaign," he said.