The Orissa High Court has rejected the anticipatory bail pleas of BJD youth leader Raja Chakra, alias Soumya Shankar Chakra, and his two associates, Sushant Kumar Samal and Sudhanshu Shekhar Nayak, in a case involving alleged financial irregularities worth Rs 35 crore linked to Gandhamardan Loading Agency and Transporting Cooperative Society.
The decision, pronounced on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, by Justice V. Narasingh, has heightened the possibility of their arrest by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the State Crime Branch, which is investigating the case.
The court had reserved its verdict on Tuesday after hearing the anticipatory bail petitions and subsequently dismissed them while also withdrawing the interim protection from arrest previously granted to the trio. The accused had approached the High Court fearing arrest in connection with the financial scam.
According to case details, the EOW launched a probe following allegations of misappropriation of Rs 35 crore through the Gandhamardan Loading Agency and the cooperative society. The agency was involved in loading and transporting iron ore from various mines in Keonjhar, during which significant financial fraud allegedly occurred. Earlier, the EOW arrested the former president of the agency, Manas Ranjan Barik, and its secretary, Utkal Das, in connection with the case.
The rejection of the bail pleas has intensified the legal pressure on Raja Chakra and his associates, who are now likely to face arrest as the investigation progresses.
