The Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) of the Odisha Crime Branch has secured a three-day remand of BJD leader Raja Chakra after the Balasore OPID (Odisha Protection of Interests of Depositors) Court approved the request on Wednesday. The court granted the remand after reviewing the Crime Branch’s petition.
Earlier, the Crime Branch had sought a five-day remand to interrogate Raja Chakra over allegations of financial fraud. However, after hearing both sides, the court allowed only three days of custodial interrogation.
Soumyashankar Chakra, popularly known as Raja Chakra, a prominent BJD leader, was arrested for his alleged involvement in a multi-crore transport scam and mining irregularities in Keonjhar district. He was taken into custody on March 14 and produced before the court, which initially sent him to judicial custody until March 19, 2025.
Sources reveal that the Crime Branch is now set to question Raja Chakra extensively to uncover the money trail, possible accomplices, and other critical links in the case. Investigators are also focused on tracing misappropriated funds and gathering additional leads.
The case has garnered widespread attention due to the scale of the financial scam and the involvement of high-profile individuals. Notably, the EOW’s investigation has already led to the seizure of around 200 suspected ‘benami’ accounts and 20 vehicles linked to Raja Chakra.
